Botetourt-Alleghany-Amherst County Virginia USGenWeb Archives History .....Persinger Family Journal 1907-1910 January 1907
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Susan Persinger persingers@yahoo.com and Mary Jones persingers@yahoo.com January 30, 2008, 4:15 pm

(January 1907) Today we had us one of my chickens after church to eat. James 
killed the big white hen for me and Amos cleaned it for me. I had give her 
warning cause like granddaddy Persinger always say they can lay in their nest 
or they can lay in my pot. That old thing had not give me an egg one in ages. 
Sis fixed up some beets and Miss Mary brought over some rice with onions. We 
had us a good time cause the house full of people. I wish I had me a house full 
all the time cause lord knows a body hates to be by theirselfs. I like to be by 
myself if I have some thinking to do but most of the time I want someone with 
me. Me and sis always been together and that makes it easier on us both. I 
wonder somedays if sis ever misses never getting married. The way she talks she 
don’t. She would of made a good momma cause she was always good with mine. 
Somedays I feel bad cause I think maybe that she never got her no man cause she 
always be wanting to take care of me and mine. I thanks sweet Jesus that she 
been with me all these years cause I never made it without her.

I enjoy writing. I use to write when I was little but with the children and all 
it just seemed that I never had time or was just to wore out to do it. Miss 
Fridley over in Alleghany County give me a book to write in when I was bout 8 
and I wrote lots in it. Sis thinks that momma burned part of it by mistake when 
she was starting a fire in the cook stove. I wish I had it to read what I was 
thinking bout back then. Sis can read and do some writing but she not as good 
as me cause she never liked to do her much learning. Sis always wanted to be 
outside or in the kitchen helping with the cooking. Me I liked it but we didn’t 
have lot of time for it cause we were always working around the house and fore 
I was 14 we was working for other people. I use to hate the men talking about 
starting the garden cause I knowed what was coming. Lord knows I hated pulling 
rocks from those fields. Us kids had to carry big buckets and we had to fill 
them with rocks out of the garden and we carry them all day til it was to dark 
to see. We had to grub the ground and then pull weeds and my back would hurt 
but had to be done. I can make a good garden but don’t mean I like it. After we 
left Botetourt for the Carolinas I remember telling sis that making a garden 
there was not hard on a body cause there was no big rocks to be moving out of 
the garden and the dirt easy to turn over. I remember one year we was staying 
up in Ritch Patch and lord knows we carried rocks all summer and every time it 
rain there was more rocks then fore we started. Miss Bowen always say that the 
ground growed rocks.

I don’t know nothing to write bout today. I tell myself to least write every 
Sunday. Miss Odell says it good cause it keeps your mind off your troubles. I 
find me a hawk feather out by the basin yesterday. I put it over the door so as 
to keep bad luck out. Granddaddy Persinger always say put them with the quill 
down so that bad luck run right up them and not in the house. Lord knows we 
need us some good luck in this house. I aint had no word from my David in a 
long time. I know he can write. Sis says that he must be busy but I don’t know 
me why he don’t at least write me a few lines. Miss Jones say that Miss Grace 
been gone five years today. Her and Miss Jones were good friends and I had her 
over a couple of times. She was a good Christian lady and loved her church. I 
never knowed if they was related and don’t do me no asking now cause if they 
was it may make her sad. Miss Jones done seen more trouble in her time than 
most so I never want to add to her grief. I know how it is to lose one you done 
loved and someone reminding you that they are gone.

Miss Mary and Miss Jones come over and we had us all a good time. They learned 
us some slave songs that they would sing on the plantation. Miss Mary is the 
funnyist person when she has her a mind to be. Miss Pearl didn’t want to do her 
no singing cause she says they aint nothing bout slave days she ever want to 
think bout again but then she and Miss Mary do one together and it was the 
cutist thing. Miss Jones can do her some singing. Sis says that in heaven that 
has to be what an angel sounds like. Now sis don’t have her no voice for 
singing at all. My Tom can do him some singing but aint no use trying to get 
that boy in church to do it but he is a good boy and always do for me and sis. 
The preachers wife keeps acting like it is my fault all my children aint in 
church but I don’t pay her no never mind. I have me a good family and sweet 
Jesus done blessed me good. I always think bout all the times we had us at 
church over the years. When we was living down in the Carolinas me and sis 
always doing something in church. Course some of the churches were small and me 
and sis like us a church full of people.


My James done give his kids a dog. I hate to say it but I think the thing is 
ugly with big bat ears and a tiny little tail. I never have much cared for a 
dog and sis don’t like them but the kids already love him to death so I have to 
put up with him. I always been a little ascared of dogs cause one of granddaddy 
relations up and died from worms they got from a dog. Say they knotted up 
inside her and fore they could doctor her she up and died. Miss Mary was over 
most of the day with me. Sis fixed us up an apple pie and we enjoyed ourselves. 
I been waiting on a letter from my David. I wish he was here but a man has to 
go where there be work. I know he could write more than he do. Amos cut his 
foot and stayed two nights with me so that I could look after him. Lord knows 
his momma act like she not able to do nothing. Little wonder that my James come 
over all the time. I know that a body may not know all they needs to know when 
they first gets married but she has had her plenty of time to learn. I done 
offered her for years to help her learn some cooking and some sewing but says 
she aint got her no mind for it. If James didn’t do most the cooking they all 
be starving. When he is gone working his kids come here and eats most of the 
time or I have to fix up something and send it over. I don’t mind me a bit but 
she needs to be doing her part. Her and Linda done had words a couple times 
over it but I keep hush cause aint my place to say. She say she sick all the 
time and send Amos over to get her a plate of something and I been ascared to 
say much cause if she up and died I never forgive myself.
 

Miss Odell done give me a white kitten. James says he thinks his momma is crazy 
cause I got me a houseful already. I only let a few stay in the house but I 
likes having me a white cat cause they are good luck. My granddaddy Persinger 
knowed all bout animals and how they works. He say a white deer is called a 
spirit deer and is sacred and no man should kill one cause they are special and 
have powers. When he was little him and his daddy seen them one over in 
Alleghany County. It was no more than a rock throw from where they were but 
didn’t run off cause it knowed they never hurt it. He say his daddy told him 
never bother the spirit deer cause the spirits protect it. His daddy was an 
Indian and learned him all bout such things. The way you know such things is by 
the way they look. If an animal or bird is different from what you expect then 
it means that it done been marked by the spirits. Some is good luck and some is 
bad luck and a body needs to know which is which. A white squirrel is called a 
ghost squirrel. I never seen me one but granddaddy say a white squirrel is bad 
luck. If you see one you gots to leave it be cause if you kill it all the bad 
luck runs to you. It be the same with a white crow. I heared of this boy that 
shot him a white crow and took it home to show his family. A couple days later 
his momma falls over dead in her kitchen and everyone says he done brought 
death home with him that day. A black cat is unlucky but a black rooster brings 
good luck. If they have any spots on them then they not lucky or unlucky. Some 
folks don’t know them nothing bout such things but I think they is important 
for a body to know.


Me and Miss Odell been cooking up a pot of beans for Miss Mary cause she been 
in the sick bed most all week. Miss Jones says she helps her but she not able 
hardly to be taking care of herself so me and sis been helping. My cook stove 
got a crack in it you could put your finger through but don’t want to be 
spending me no money to be replacing it. I like to cook course liking it got 
nothing to do with it cause I got to do it. I don’t want nobody in my kitchen 
anyhow excepting maybe Miss Odell or sis. Sis can do her some cooking when she 
has a mind to and aint noone make better cakes. James says he will bring me 
some vanilla when he stops by tomorrow. That boy loves his vanilla cakes and I 
tell him that I get sis to help me bake him up some. Sweet Jesus knows that 
there aint a better son than my James. Miss Beth can do her some eating. She 
eat most of half a pie that I fixed me up. She stayed the night with me and 
near bout chewed my ear off but course I loves listening to her talk. I can do 
me my sewing and never has to worry myself bout what to say cause she never 
gives a body a chance to say nothing. Sis says she bet she talks in her sleep. 
A person never believe she as old as she is. She says she was born in 1819 over 
in Botetourt County. She had her 10 children and done outlived all but one. 
Only one left is her boy Nathan and he not able to hardly look after himself 
and she still able to get out and do things. She had him in 1839 somewhere up 
north cause she was free and say that her and her man had trouble out of some 
slave catchers that wanted to sell them off at auction. She never say it but 
Miss Odell says that her man was a runaway from the Carolinas and that be why 
they had them some trouble but I know that they made trouble even if a body not 
no runaway. After the war they come back to Virginia cause she had her some 
people here and cause she didn’t like her all the snow and cold up there. I say 
that it snow and get cold here and she laughs and say if we aint lived up north 
then we never seen real snow or cold. Say she lost her man and two of her boys 
in 1889 from some sickness but never say what it was. The way I understand it 
Miss Odells sister married herself up with her youngest boy Paul and then they 
moved to Missouri. Say they got themselves burned up in a fire. That the only 
way I never want to die by. When I was little there was this fire and I seen 
this man and most of his skin was burned off so that he didn’t look like a man 
at all. It took him days to die and him moaning and yelling all the time cause 
of the pain. They had granddaddys brother get some of the wine he done made and 
they give him all he could drink trying to get rid of the pain. Sweet Jesus I 
never want to be taken like that.

I finished the big quilt. I put some of my best pieces in it. It has four rings 
in the center and ten stars down each side. Miss Wilson say she will buy it for 
her girl and another if I can make it by next week. Miss Odell promised to come 
round tomorrow and help me with it. This one got a flower design in it with two 
butterflys in the middle. I made me one like it couple years ago and sold it to 
some white folks down in Roanoke. Grandma Persinger showed me how to make the 
design when I was little. Sis got me a book with some designs in it but they 
are not near as pretty I think as the ones we makes. Miss Lewis wants me to sew 
her up a new dress so I needs get started on it. A lot of work to be done but 
better than none. Miss Beth come over and say she going to live with her 
grandson. She say she never see me again in this world cause she done seen her 
the angel of death in her dreams and know she be gone soon. I started to cry 
but she say she want no tears cause she ready to see all her babies again and I 
think bout my Adam and tell her that I understand and that I love her. My 
granddaddy Persinger always say that his daddy told him that when a body gets 
old that death come to them and let the person know that their time is ending 
soon. They can come in the form of animals or in dreams and they do this so 
that the person can get themselves ready to pass on. He say aint no use 
fighting what will come cause it like trying to stop a river. A body has to be 
accepting that what come will come. If a body accepts the gift of knowing what 
come then it makes it easier but if a body fights it they will lose and 
everyone round them will have a hard time with it.

I aint feeling poorly in the least bit today. I had me a pain in my belly for 
neigh on two days. I put a smidge of wood ash and catnip in branch water and 
work better than anything the doctor has. Miss Mary come over this morning and 
had done fixed me some hoe cakes and greens. Guess it is her way of thanking me 
from when she was aling. She got her a good heart and I love her to death. We 
set and talked bout the old days and I tell her bout my writing so that when 
the lord calls me my family wont forget. I showed her but Miss Mary never had 
no learning. She says that slaves that had learning got beat. If they catch a 
slave with paper then they sell him off right then. She ask me to make the mark 
for Jacob cause that was her boys name so I show her and then I give her the 
paper to keep. She says she wanted to call him Mark but the master done picked 
out Jacob for him. We lucky cause to my knowing lest from the Persingers we 
aint been no slaves in my family. I know Raymonds momma was a slave so some of 
my children have slave blood in them. It don’t make me no never mind cause we 
all the same anyhow but Miss Mary says it do cause we got us learning. I 
remember Miss Bowen and Miss Wolf over in Alleghany County learning sis her 
letters and then them and sis helping me to write them down. Sweet Jesus knows 
I misses me those two women. They were two of the best white women I ever 
knowed.

Sis and me been sewing most this week. James says he can take more things to 
Roanoke with him next week and sell them cause those people pay more than we 
gets round here. I done got me another buyer for my eggs so I need to be 
raising me up some more hens. I have two hens sitting on eggs now and may sit 
two more. Tom give me couple of hens he got from the white folks he working 
for. He is good at building so lots of folks want him to help them when they 
got a building to put up. He got that from his granddaddy Persinger cause that 
man could build him everything and could carve himself almost anything out of 
wood. He learned it from his daddy. He carved me a deer that looks real and I 
still got it. Daddy says he made one of a wild cat and give it to his momma 
Miss Sara and she had it til the day she passed. My James can work in wood and 
he done made me two or three chairs for my table. I thank sweet Jesus that all 
mine got themselves a trade. Things hard these days so a man needs him a trade. 
Mine always know that they can find them work somewhere cause they can do so 
many things. Course James been working since he was little and always has him a 
mind to be working. I cant abide me no lazy person.

I been working for Miss Lewis doing the cooking and helping around the house 
cause her momma staying over at her place and she needs some help. Her momma an 
alful fussy woman and she calls me mammy Becca cause when she was little she 
had her a mammy Becca and she thinks I be her. After she eats I got to stay by 
her bed til she falls asleep cause that what her mammy Becca done. She makes me 
brush her hair fore and after every meal. We gots to dress her up like she a 
baby cause she got no mind bout things. She keep asking me bout people I never 
knowed but I goes along cause that what Miss Lewis pays me for. She don’t know 
Miss Lewis and keeps telling her not to be bossing her mammy cause her daddy 
done give her mammy Becca for her own. She keeps telling me not to worry cause 
no one ever beat or sell me cause she protect me. Me and sis been trading off 
but sis don’t like no one calling her mammy but she says she keeps her mouth 
shut cause Miss Lewis pays us good. She puts me in a mind of Miss Amanda cause 
she that way fore she died. That woman had her a hard life but a body never 
knowed it by the way she acted. She always had her a smile on her face and was 
singing all the time and Jesus knows she loved her church. We put my Raymond in 
the ground next to her and I know they in heaven. I got me a letter from my 
David and he put some money in it. He says that he likes his work and that the 
Italians he is working with treats him good. Sis says that grandma Persinger 
had her some Italian blood but I aint never been round any that I can 
recollect. Raymonds daddy was white but I don’t know if he had him any Italian 
blood.

I stayed the last two nights over at Miss Lewis place cause her daughter gone 
to Richmond and says her momma keeps getting out of the bed at night. She aint 
no trouble for me cause when she sees me in the chair she goes back to sleep. 
If she don’t then I got to read to her from one of her books and I likes to 
read. Miss Lewis says I can borry me one anytime I want. She thinks Miss Lewis 
is her momma now and I know it gots to be hard on her. She keeps asking me bout 
her sister Emma and Miss Lewis says she been dead going on twenty years but I 
tell her she is fine and be home soon. I never want my kids to go through that 
with me so hope the lord takes me fore that ever happen. People need to know 
that death is not the worse thing that can come down on a body. I seen so many 
of my people fall into some sort of madness fore their time to pass come and 
the family suffered so. Miss Odell made me some sausage cakes and poor John 
stew so I didnt have to do me no cooking once I got home. She been looking 
after my cats for me. She sure is a good woman. I missed not sleeping in my own 
bed but thank sweet Jesus sis says she will stay with her a couple of nights.


(May 5 1907) Miss Odell and sis brought me a mess of turnips and onions and I 
done cooked them up with some pork and we eat all day on them. Today is May 5 
which means my baby Adam been dead thirty years now and they know that and 
didn’t want me to be by myself today. Sweet Jesus knows that I grives myself as 
much today as I did in 1877. My baby Adam was a joy from the day I had him. He 
never cried like other babies and had the biggest eyes I ever seen on a baby 
just like he was an angel. He was just three months old and as healthy as a 
bull but I put him down for a nap and when I go back to see bout him Jesus had 
done took him. I don’t recollect much after that cause I done been took by the 
madness. Sis say that after we buried him she finds me down by the river and 
she asks me if I planning on joining my baby in the grave and I say that my 
baby is calling me from the water.  I was sick to my soul and blamed god for 
what he done to me. Took near a year fore I goes back to church cause the pain 
in my heart just to great. God done blessed me with James in 1879 and a better 
baby never been put in any woman arms. I don’t recollect all the years for the 
others but sis got them wrote down for me in her Bible. I lost me two babies 
fore I was a few months along one cause I had me the fever and the other when I 
fall down getting wood. I think it don’t bother me much bout them cause I never 
knowed them. Lord knows that I love all my babies but there a place in my heart 
for sweet little Adam that never be filled. I don’t know why that little angel 
on my mind all the time. I still see his face all the time in my other kids and 
grandbabies. Some days I think bout when I get to see him again in heaven and 
the hugs and kisses I have for him. I feel bad for Miss Mary cause I know my 
baby Adam with Jesus but she don’t know nothing bout her babies if they alive 
or dead and she done stayed with me all day making me feel better and not a 
word from me bout what she be feeling. I will fix her up some apple dumplins 
tomorrow and take them over.

James come over and helped me out in the garden. Things look good so far and I 
hope to have me a mess of onions and greens fore long. Amos was fooling around 
at some foolness and broke my kitchen window so James had to fix that up for me 
fore he left. I wish Tom would come around more but he say he to busy working 
and at least he aint in no foolness like some of the boys round here. Miss 
Lewis wants me to come stay the next three nights over at her place to help 
with her momma. I have to stay up half the night so I going to take some of my 
sewing with me. Sis says that death is coming soon cause she can feel it. I 
just be hoping that she don’t pass while I be with her not cause I fear death 
but cause it will break Miss Lewis heart when she gone. I have heared many a 
colored person say that white folks don’t feel bout passing like we does but 
that nothing but crazy talk. As sick as that woman been and as much trouble it 
be taking care of her Miss Lewis don’t want to see her pass. I know she would 
give her last penny and her big house if she could make her well. Sweet Jesus 
knows that when it be my time I want to pass in my own bed with my family by me.

Miss Lewis momma sleeping right now but her breathing not right. The light to 
poor for a body to do any sewing so I sets here and watches her and can do me 
some writing. I been fixing to write but had nothing to write bout. Sis says I 
needs to put down the story daddy told us bout when granddaddy Persinger helped 
him some runaway slaves. His Christian name was Gabriel but lots of folks 
called him You Way cause that was his nickname. They were living over there in 
Allegany County long fore the war. One night they heared some commotion and was 
ascared someone be thiefing some their domineckers. Granddaddy went out and 
finds himself two runaways over by his springhouse. They were a man and a woman 
and he say they the darkest coloreds he seen in his life. They say they done 
runaway cause their master was going to sell them off at auction. Grandma fixed 
them something to eat cause they looked half starved to death. Granddaddy 
didn’t know what to do with them so he took them to old man Redcross place. He 
was this mulatto man that knowed everybody round. He say he didn’t want to help 
cause he say that kind of wrongness get his family killed or sold out from 
under him if the whites find out. Granddaddy tells him that he gots to help 
them cause they are little older than a child and he knowed that if the slavers 
take them they would beat them to the bone.. He thinks bout it fore a spell and 
tells them where they can go and find some white folks that take in runaways 
but says it is far off. Granddaddy says that he is going to take them through 
the woods cause that way no whites be eyeing them. Fore they leave he tells 
granddaddy that if the whites catch them then they never knowed him. Grandma 
say he gone purt near two weeks but she never worried her head over it cause 
Miss Sara always say him and his brothers was more like wild Indians and aint 
no white folks ever catch him once he in the woods. 

I had me a long walk today. I love to walk and visit along the way. It gives a 
body time to think bout things. The years going by so fast. I remember when my 
James was just a baby and I would hand him to Miss Amanda so that I could go to 
work and when I look back he put me in the mind of an angel. Now he is a grown 
man with a wife and babies of his own. When I walk by myself I feel like a 
little girl running after her granddaddy through the woods or playing apple 
ball in the field. I always loved being round all those people when I was 
little cause they made a body feel safe and loved. I know now that they loved 
me and payed no never mind to my color. I stayed the night one time over in 
Ritch Patch with Miss Smith and I was ascared of her man cause he had him a 
hard look but when I was leaving he give me the biggest hug and say I could 
come back when we was that way again. So many of my family and friends done 
passed on and I miss them a lot. When a body is in the house by yourself it 
seem like all those years come back and you feels so old and lost. I never been 
ascared of death but I want to stay with my children and their babies and see 
my grandbabies all grown with children of theirs running round my feet. The 
Bible says that a body go to heaven when they die and they see all their family 
again. Maybe it is like you was alive again. I want to see my Adam again. Miss 
Fridley always say that she never ascared to be passing on if she knowed that 
all hers be taken care of when she was gone. I wish I could be as strong as 
that woman was. Raymond use to tell me that I was strong and somedays I think 
he passed in peace cause he knowed me and sis be just fine.


(June 1907) I have me my birthday this week. Not sure of the day but sis say I 
was born in June so I set June 4 as my day cause my granddaddy always say 4 was 
a lucky number. I never been sure of the year but don’t matter much. None ever 
payed no mind to it for me excepting Miss Fridley cause she say that it is 
important .I always say that god took my momma but then to make up for it he 
give me sis and Miss Fridley and Miss Bowen and Miss Wolf so I had me four 
mommas. That aint to say that daddys wife weren’t no momma to me and sis it 
just that we never seemed to be loved by her. She never beat us and always give 
us food to eat but always seemed like she doing it cause it was her place and 
not cause she loved us. Sis say she never recollects her ever saying that she 
loved us but Miss Fridley and the others were saying it all the time. That is 
the way with some people but I know she say it to her own children but since me 
and sis always being reminding her everytime she seen us that daddy had loved 
him another woman she never say it to us. It bother sis more than me cause I 
back talked her one day and I say she don’t have to be loving me cause I was a 
Persinger by blood and those people loved me. I know that back talking was 
wrong but a child needs to feel like they are loved. The preacher says we needs 
to raise some money for the church. I be wishing we had the money to help more 
but lord knows we just making it ourselves. Miss Mary says she got nothing to 
give but maybe we can make up something to sell. I got me a card from my David. 
He sent me a couple dollars. He says he is doing fine and he is hoping to be 
back by Christmas. He done found him a woman and I want to meet her. Lord knows 
that that boy got no sense when it come to women. Spend his last penny on one 
if he got the chance. Lord knows he didn’t get that from his daddy cause that 
man never let go of nothing. Sis say when we buried him to check his hands 
cause he is going to take what he can with him. James the best of the bunch in 
that way though he spends on me more than he should. I thanks god every night 
for my children cause they my joy.

Tom got him that deer that been eating my garden. He was a big one and we 
worked all day getting him cut up. Me and sis cut part of him up in long strips 
to dry it the way that granddaddy showed us. He mixed in some dry roots and 
crushed leaves with his but sis is not sure how he done them. When he went in 
the woods he always had him a bag of it and hard bread so he could eat without 
needing to stop and fix up something.  Miss Mary say she will show Tom how to 
fix up the hide so he can use it to make something out of it. I remember that 
granddaddy had him pants and an overshirt that he made that way and he always 
say they was good in the brush cause no thorns can get you and they lasts a 
long time. His daddy showed him how to do it cause his daddy never liked him no 
white mans clothes. Sis says that they had them a big bucket full of ashes and 
water that they put it in and him and grandma would work and scrape on it for 
days. I know that they made us shoes out of some and I liked them but I aint no 
cobbler so don’t know nothing bout how he made them. I know times were hard but 
me and sis had us some good times when we was little.

Me and sis went to church this morning and come home to fix up a bite for 
everyone to eat. I had me a house full of company and sure was glad bout it. I 
cooked up some of the deer that my Tom done killed in my garden and it sure was 
good. I got to show off my new divanport. It almost to pretty to be setting on. 
My babies done bought it for me but truth be told bet James come up with most 
of it. First new piece that come in this house since I can recollect. I was 
ascared to be asking what they done give for it but that would be bad manners 
anyhow. Miss Ruthann say she seen one exactly like it when she was cleaning 
over at some white folks. Miss Ruthann was a house slave down in Tennessee fore 
the war so she got herself an eye for good stuff. She say her momma was the 
mammy for the master from the time he was a baby. Her and her momma got to live 
in a room off the kitchen and got to eat what the white folks were eating. 
Course says that she is not her real momma cause her real momma died fore she 
was six. I tell her bout how my momma died when I was a baby to. Says Miss June 
ask the master to give her Miss Ruthann cause she never had her no babies of 
her own. She say course everybody knowed she didn’t have to do her no asking 
cause Miss June got what she wanted. Her and her momma got to go to town and 
all over and never needed her no pass cause everybody knowed her. Even the poor 
white trash knowed better than cause her no trouble. Everybody say how you 
feeling today Mammy June and she say tolerable. She says when her momma got the 
pox the master moved her into the room next to his and had a white doctor come 
and see bout her. Miss Mary says she cant hardly believe that cause she aint 
never knowed no white folks caring for colored but she says it is the truth. 
When her master got himself killed in the war her momma say she would kill that 
Yankee that done shoot her boy if she had the chance cause she loved him like 
he was her own. I always in a good spirit when my house full of folks talking 
and having a good time. I wish we had more times like this.

Miss Wilson had her some people down from Covington so got me to do the 
cooking. Her sister was talking bout the Persingers over that way and I wanted 
so bad to ask her bout Bernard but knowed better than ask. It would be nice to 
hear how things be with him but some things best left in the dark. Her sister 
made me mad talking bout how there was not enough sugar in the pie and the meat 
was nearly raw and the bread was to hard. I wanted to tell her to get in the 
kitchen and fix it herself but I need me the money so I keep hush. That woman 
eat more than two people and never moved a dish one. I got me no kindness for 
people like that. I know something is going on with Linda. James says there 
aint but I know there is. Linda is like sis. They both as stubborn as an old 
banny hen wanting to go to nest. I know Linda has trouble feeling she is a part 
of this family but she is and I love her. Sis came by hers honest cause my 
grandma Persinger always say that Miss Sara had her a way that when she set her 
mind on something nobody change her. The Bible say that women folk suppose to 
listen to their men but she say Miss Sara never payed no mind to what they tell 
her unless she had her a mind to. I wish somedays that I took more after her.


We has had us some bad times. James was working and fell off the roof of this 
house they was working on. I was in bed and Tom come running in the house 
yelling for me to come quick. I was thinking that the house be on fire so I run 
out in my bed clothes and Tom is yelling that James done been hurt bad. I see 
my baby and he is all hurt and blood done come out of his mouth and nose and he 
keeps telling me not to cry that he is not that bad hurt. All I could think 
bout was the time me and sis were visiting over in Alleghany County with some 
of the Persingers that lived over that way. It was a year or two after the war 
and Miss Fridley and Miss Bowen took us over at her friends house one Saturday 
so they could visit. All the men went out to skid them some logs. I wanted to 
go with the men but Miss Wright say that the men in the berries and I think 
that it to early for any berries but sis told me what it was. We were all in 
the kitchen and the door flings open and the men come in with this boy all 
covered in blood cause a tree done rolled him over. They toss all the coverings 
off the table and put him on it and you could see a bone up through his chest 
and blood coming out everywhere. One of the men takes off for a doctor and one 
of the men turns to my cousin Caleb and say to ride his horse to the boys house 
and get his momma cause he not going to make it. He say ride the horse to the 
ground if you has to but get her here quick. They send us kids out and I never 
seen him come back but sudden like I heared this scream come from the house and 
it was his momma. The women were holding her and some of them was praying out 
loud calling for god to come and save the boy. I heared the boy tell his momma 
that he was cold and they grabbed all the blankets and put them on him and then 
he tell her it don’t hurt him none and then he pass. I can still see that poor 
woman tearing at her hair til the men folk tied her down. I stay up all night 
with James and pray but I was thinking bout that boy and how he say it don’t 
hurt and then he pass. I tell sweet Jesus that if he makes my baby right I 
never be asking for nothing again. I lost me my Adam and I die if he takes my 
James. The doctor says that he done busted him some ribs but if he stays in bed 
for a while he will be fine. Course James gots him a hard head and talking bout 
that he gots to work but I tell him that aint the way it going to be. He don’t 
like it but my boy always listens to his momma. Out of all mine he is the only 
one that never back talked me and I aint never had to ask him more than once to 
help me do something. Sweet baby Jesus please make my boy right. I will never 
be able to go on without him.

I give all my praises to sweet Jesus cause James is getting better. He still 
got him some soreness in his chest and he is not able to work but I can see 
that he is stronger everyday. I cooked him up a big meal and he eat good. I 
love me that boy. Sis been helping over at his place so I can get me some rest 
but truth be knowed I never get me no rest cause he is on my mind all the time. 
The ladys at church had a prayer circle for him and I pray all day and night 
for him. The preacher done come over a couple of times to pray for him. James 
tells me he is sorry that he not able to help me fix my garden up and I tell 
him to hush his mouth cause aint a one of us hungry. I cry a lot cause even 
being sick he still is thinking bout his momma. I always say that I was mad at 
god for taking my baby Adam but then he give me the best son a momma could ever 
want. There is this Bible story bout this man that god took all he had and then 
give him even better than he had. Sis says that I never have to worry my head 
cause he always been stronger than a bull. He took that after his granddaddy 
Persinger. Tom and Amos been helping me around the house and they are my joy. 
God has blessed me with my family and I give all my thanks to him.

James come over today and I have me the biggest smile on my face cause my baby 
doing good. He says that he is going back to work in a week but he is still 
sore. I look at him and a momma knows when something is wrong. I ask him if it 
is his health and he says no but hushes up. I tell him I want to know what the 
trouble be and he tells me that he aint got him no money and his family has 
them some bills. I tell him to come in the kitchen with me and I take up the 
back board where I keep me my money jar. I take me out my money jar and count 
it out and there is more than sixty dollars. I give it all to him and tell him 
that I been saving that for hard times and times don’t get much harder. He says 
that he never take money from his momma cause he knows I need it for me. I tell 
him that my money is his money and that he better be taking it. He says that he 
will pay me back and I tell him that he already done it. I love me that boy and 
aint nothing I have that is not his. I got me more sewing to do than I can ever 
get done so be more money coming in this house and I have me enough to eat. 
That boy done give and give to me and I feel good being able to help him. I 
would give my life for him and I pray to Jesus that he knows it. Sweet Jesus 
knows that when Raymond passed that boy had to take on all the jobs of a man 
and me and sis never made it without him.


James says that he wants to take me and sis to see the ocean. Sis says that 
there aint no way she wants to go cause she don’t like her no water. I can swim 
like a duck but sis sink like a rock. She says she is happy where she is but if 
I want to go then I should go with him. I would like to do me some traveling 
fore I pass on. I always wanted to go to Florida and New York and maybe out 
west. I know it cost a lot but don’t do a body no harm to be wishing. He is 
working again and it is almost like he never been hurt. I thank god for that. I 
finished me some sewing and me and sis done sold us two pairs of curtains to a 
friend of Miss Cora. We picked us a couple of big tomatoes out of the garden 
and we been eating on them all day. Sis loves her tomatoes with hoe cakes and 
Tom had give us some butter so we has been eating good. Now when we were living 
in the Carolinas we could grow us some good tomatoes. It seemed like all we had 
to do was put them in the ground and fore we knowed it those plants falling 
over with tomatoes. We would pick them with bushel baskets and what we never 
could use or sell we would give to the chickens and the hogs that we was 
raising us. Those days were hard but we always seemed to have us a good time. 
James been talking bout heading over to Buchanan to see if he can get him some 
work. He worked for a Mister Waldron up that way a few years back and he payed 
him good and his wife had me sew her up some things. If there no work up that 
way he say he will go down to Richmond cause they always have work there.
 
I done took some pieces over to Miss Jones so she can fix her a spread. I got 
me more than I can use cause the kids gives me plenty. Course I know she never 
be able to finish it cause she barely able to see but I don’t say nothing bout 
it. Miss Wilson says that she would be collecting for the colored kids again 
this year. Course she didn’t come to tell us. She sends her hired man to do it 
as usual thinking she to good to come into a church full of coloreds. I want to 
tell her god don’t care nothing bout that but the preacher says that her hearts 
in the right place. Course most stuff she collected last year so bad that a 
white kid wouldn’t want it. It took me and Miss Odell nearly two days of 
cleaning and fixing just to make half them presentable. She told her hired man 
to tell us how much that she loved all the colored children. I want to say to 
her that we are not all colored. Miss Sara granddaddy Persingers mom was white 
and his daddy was Indian which mean we got more right to be here than she do. 
The world seems to me to be messed up with all this talk bout color anyway. 
Miss Terry say we are mulatto and that makes us colored but I just let it pass 
me by. That woman fret a body to death. It aint no concern of hers what color 
mine be. Course it is the same all over cause we had us trouble when we were 
living in the Carolinas and we had trouble in Botetourt Count and Alleghany 
County and everywhere we stayed. Some people got their mind on color and see 
nothing else. There Miss Amanda as dark as any person I ever seen and a better 
soul god never put here. Here some of these white boys always in some foolness 
but never a word bout them being in it cause they are white. Amos say he never 
walks by some parts cause if those white boys see him there be trouble. I know 
when we were in the Carolinas there was a part of town where colored people 
never go cause whites not allow it. It don’t make no good sense to me.

Miss Eliza come over today and tells me my cats done left me a bird on my porch 
as a gift. I need to keep most of them in the house or they will catch them 
everyone around here in no time. She says she been thinking bout moving in with 
her daughter. I never want to have to go live with my children cause I like 
having me my own house. All mine take me in without no word of nothing bout it 
but I never want to be a burden to nobody. I seen me a falling star last night. 
When I was little I would sit outside and look up at the stars half the night. 
My granddaddy Persinger would tell me stories bout the stars and how to tell 
things by looking at them but I forgot what all he done told me bout them. I 
don’t know how that man could keep all that stuff in his head. He knowed more 
than I could hope to know. Course in those days most had no way to write things 
down so a body had to learn them good. I give James a bag of dried deer to take 
with him when he is working cause I know that boy likes to do him some good  
eating. A person never know that he had been hurt cause he is as strong as 
ever. I thank god everyday for that. 

Miss Ruthann come by for a visit. I fixed us some tomatoes with corn and give 
her some of the dried deer I fixed up. She don’t got her more than two or three 
teeth in her head but she eats anything she wants like she had her a mouthful. 
I could listen to her talk all day. I ask her if she ever thinks bout her real 
momma and she say that all she remembers bout her was that she worked the 
fields. She never knowed her daddy. After she was give to Miss June and moved 
in the big house the other slaves never had much to do with her. She says that 
fore the war she liked being round whites more than colored people cause they 
were always good to her. Course she had to keep her place and had to clean the 
house and help in the kitchen. Miss June was the boss of all the house slaves 
and would tell them everyday what they had to do. She says that it was hard on 
her and Miss June after the war cause the family sold off the plantation and 
they had to leave. The family give Miss June some money so that made it easier. 
She is the only colored person I know that thought the war was wrong and liked 
being a slave. She was a woolworker when she was younger but her eyes to bad to 
do it now. I love to sew cause I want to be able to make me my own money. Sis 
helps me but I have to do the fancy stitching cause sis not good at it cause of 
her eyes. I just thank god that we can still see at all. Granddaddy told me 
that one of his brothers had him a blind boy. He weren’t born that way but had 
him some sickness fore he was a year old and then lost his sight. I never 
knowed him cause he done passed when he was still little and that was fore I 
was born. I seen this old blind woman over in Botetourt County and she had to 
have this girl lead her all over. I never be wanting to live like that.


Me and sis visited over at Mister Smiths place. It was his birthday and he had 
himself a big party. Aint seen that much food in a long time. After we all eat, 
me and Miss Jane sing a couple songs and then Mister Davis played his banjo and 
we done danced down the roof. To my knowing it aint no sin but Mister Brown up 
and left cause he says it is. Miss Jane says that he is old timey Baptist and 
they don’t allow no dancing. That man has him some strange ideas bout things. 
She say his people never allowed no talking in tongues in church and that lots 
of things we do they didn’t allow. Course in our day me and sis been to a lot 
of different churches both white and black and there were things we liked in 
them all and things we didn’t like but we never say nothing bout what we didn’t 
like cause it not our place and it the house of god. I never understand it all 
but I do know that his house aint no church so he had no call to up and leave 
like he done. We all sit and watched Miss Mary and Miss Jones do a slave dance 
that they did when they was on the plantation. Miss Mary was kicking those legs 
high up and swinging her arms like a wind catcher and Miss Jones was moving so 
fast that if I had not seen it with my own eyes I never would have believed it 
was her. I aint laughted so hard in all my born days. Miss Jones got her a bad 
leg but a body never knowed it the way she was moving.  I aint seen those two 
smile as much as they did and it made me feel good knowing that they had them a 
good time cause lord knows they deserve them one. Sis showed them a Indian 
dance that our granddaddy Persinger had showed her. They wanted me to get out 
there with her but sis dance better than me. Tom started to make a ruckess and 
hoot and holler like a wild Indian but Miss Jane hit him side of his head with 
a granny switch and say he better show respect. I kept hush cause he was wrong 
and cause he was at a party don’t mean he can act him a fool. He knowed better 
than that cause lord knows he was raised right. I always liked me a good party 
as long as weren’t no foolness bout it. I remember we had us a big party when 
we was little over at the house of Miss Mandy but I don’t recall what for. She 
is married up with my cousin and I love her to death. She is a white woman but 
is almost as dark as me and has her the biggest heart. We all sung songs and 
danced and there was food put out all over the place. Long bout dark some of 
the men got in the jug and started some foolness and granddaddys brother and 
some of the women had to get two of the men apart cause they was ready to 
fight. We stayed the night and fore we leave the next day Miss Mandy give me 
this pretty bonnet that she had been wearing at the party and told me that I 
looked pretty in it. I have always wanted to say to her that she never know how 
that made me feel. When I was little I never liked the way I looked and to have 
her say it to me was like the best gift she could give me. I had me that bonnet 
for years after and every time I was feeling low I put it on my head and always 
make me feel better. Some folks never understand how little seeds grow 
themselves into big flowers and she give me one of the best any folks ever give 
me.

We alls done cooked the whole day long for the church. I was near tired to 
death but Miss Mary say she not cause she always worked that way cause she was 
a slave and then a washerwoman for some white folk I ask how old she is and she 
say she not sure. Her and Miss Jones were slaves on the same plantation and 
lived through the war. Miss Jones says she got to be near 80 cause she almost 
that age and she knows she older. Way they talk times was hard on them during 
the war and their master got real mean. Say some days got nothing to eat but a 
handful of flour and what they grubs in the fields. One night they catch a dog 
running by their cabin and they club him over the head and then cook him up. I 
got to be mighty hungry for I eat me a dog but Miss Mary say it weren’t bad. 
She say they prayed everyday that them Yankee soldiers come and set them free. 
I don’t tell them nothing bout the fact that some of my kin done fought for the 
south. I feel bad cause we were free and some of my kin was passing. Miss Jones 
says that her childrens daddy was white but cause the master done found out 
bout her and the overseer he sold them out to Georgia. He would of sold her to 
excepting he done beat her so bad that busted her leg. He tells her she was 
going burn forever cause it be a sin and he aint going to have no devils 
breeding with whites on his place. After the war over Miss Jones got herself 
married to a baker down in Richmond but he been dead now purt near twenty 
years. Her and Miss Mary been living over at Mister Davis place ever since. I 
tell them that granddaddy and his kin was taken from Miss Sara to cause they 
was mixed. Some white folks told granddaddy that he better keep hush on what he 
knowed. Say don’t you tell nobody who your real momma be or you all get in 
trouble. Say god was going to punish her for what she done did with the devil 
The folks that got them worked them all hard and some got beat but least they 
wasn’t no slaves. I never understand why white folks always thinking bout color 
the way they do.

 Miss Wilson sent us a box of hymn books for the church by way of her hired 
man. He says that her church done got themselves new ones so they give us the 
old ones cause Miss Wilson knowed we needed us some. Me and Miss Eliza open the 
box thinking that they be all to pieces and they were like new. Miss Pearl says 
some look like they never been touched. I don’t understand a body needing new 
when the old near as good as the new but we be happy to have them. When we were 
in the Carolinas we didn’t have us none for the church but made do without 
them. I love to sing in church and know most of the songs without having to 
look at the words but I know some don’t. Miss Eliza says she wishes she had her 
some book learning cause then she could read the words but now is to old to 
learn. I remember Miss Wolf learning sis her letters and then sis learning me. 
Fore long I was writing my name and doing me some reading. I thank Sweet Jesus 
that all mine gots them some learning. There be some white folks that think 
that we are to dumb to learn but they are wrong. My Mary better at reading than 
me. That girl can pick herself up bout any book and read it. Course knowing and 
doing two different things cause she don’t do her much. Always say she got to 
much work to do and that may be true so I never worry her bout it cause least 
ways she knows how to do it. I remember when some white man Raymond was working 
for let him borry a book for me to read and I would stay up way past dark and 
read it over and over. When a body reads it is like you aint got you no 
troubles. I wish I had me more books and keep telling myself that one day I get 
me some but always seem like you gets a little money and it flies out of your 
hand.


I seen Mister Greens boy yesterday. He still act the way he always done and got 
him the dirtiest mouth on him. He talked to me and say his daddy done died a 
few years back and I wants to smile cause I know that man burning with the 
devil. Me and sis worked for his daddy years ago and that man was next to a 
devil. He never wanted to give a body a minute to rest and even if you worked 
hard he always there yelling bout us being a bunch of lazy niggers that wanted 
to steal all he gots. His boy never lifted a hand towards anything that looked 
like work. He would walk round with his daddy and cuss us and all the time his 
daddy saying nothing to him. I had me this dream one time that we were shucking 
corn for him and out through the field there come this band of wild Indians. 
Everybody run off cause they were ascared excepting me and sis. This Indian 
with feathers all in his hair and paint on his face come over to us and ask if 
we knowed the family of Gabriel Persinger cause his daddy was one of their 
people. We tell him that we are his family and this Indian man puts me and sis 
on a horse and says that they done come to take us back where we belong. Mister 
Green comes running out yelling for us to get back to shucking his corn. This 
Indian looks at my hands and sees they are bleeding. He makes a sign and 
several Indians shoot Mister Green full of arrows. They take me and sis to 
their village and aint no whites or coloreds there just Indians and they dress 
us in Indian clothes and we are happy. The Bible says there is good in all 
folks but I never seen no good in any of his. Miss Green was like a snake and 
her girl not much better. She would come out and stand right in front of us 
when we were working and a body having to move round her and her talking bout 
how her daddy paying us to much. She tells me that her daddy done payed more 
for her new piano than we ever see. If we needed a swallow of water had to go 
down by the cow barn cause they say don’t want no nigger fouling their well. I 
want to tell her that me and sis aint blacks but no use cause she would of 
throwed us off the place for back talking and we needed us the pay. I know the 
devil be glad to see her coming when she is dead.

The preacher tells us today that he is going to leave us next month and we need 
to be looking for a new one. He says his family is going to Georgia cause his 
momma lives there and she is sick and he needs to take care of her. I be sorry 
to see him go cause he is a good man but I understand that a mans family comes 
first. He says that he has a preacher friend that might want to come down this 
way. I loves me my church and be lost without it so I hope we get a new 
preacher soon and that he be a true man of god. I want all mine to go with me 
but they are growed up now and can do as they please. James will go with me 
some if I worry him enough but I know he works hard and only has him one day 
off. Linda would go with me but now that girl off with some foolness. Least 
ways Amos still likes to go and that pleases me cause he is a good boy. I asked 
Ben to come with us but that boy act like he didn’t hear me and that momma of 
his never make them children go. Jesus knows mine never had a say bout it when 
they was little. A person has got to raise children right these days but aint 
no use talking to her cause she never listen. I never say nothing to James bout 
the way she doing the children cause it aint my place and she never listen to 
him anyhow.
 
James come in late from work night fore last and ask me to fix him up 
something. Course I don’t mind cause I love to cook. He say he seen an owl out 
in my front tree and near scares me to death. Granddaddy Persinger say owls is 
bad luck and if you see one three nights in a row it mean someone in the house 
going to pass over. Say that Miss Sara done seen an owl out her back door and 
when it called it say her name. A couple of days later she was dead to the 
world. Granddaddy say that we got to know us bout such things cause they can 
keep us safe or do us bad. Next morning I go out and get me a bunch of pine and 
cedar branches and hang them over every window and door on the place. 
Granddaddy say they keep out bad luck and help keep a body safe. I even put a 
bunch on my bed posts. Last night I go out and sure enough the owl done left. 
Granddaddy say his daddy learned him all bout such things and I done seen them 
work. He had him a bag round his neck with tobacco and bones and colored stones 
that his daddy done give him. He say they protect a body from things out to do 
him harm. I put me lot of faith in such things cause they the old ways. The 
preacher says its a sin to believe in such foolishness and the kids look at me 
like I got me some sickness but I know what I know. Like you can tell if its 
going to rain by listening to the chickens at night cause like he say if a 
rooster crow when he done gone to bed he be waking up with a wet head or that 
the rain will end soon if you see a cow eating in the wind the rain that falls 
will soon end. A body can tell if the winter be bad by looking at bees cause he 
say bee nest high in tree lots of snow in winter you see. I seen it more times 
than I can count and know it. Some white folks say it nonsense but them Indians 
here lot longer than them so they knowed all bout such things. Grandma say one 
night granddaddy was uneasy but never say what was wrong. She say he keep going 
to the door and looking out like he sees something out there. She goes on to 
bed but when he don’t come on she gets herself up and granddaddy is out in the 
back and done made him a fire. She say he was throwing something in the fire 
and talking Indian and rubbing his neck bag. She never ask him why he done it 
cause he always tell her that she to much Christian to understand what he do. I 
know that he seen something and he done what needed be done to keep it away.

I got me a job cleaning over at Mister Andrews. His daddy knowed Mister Craft 
that married up with granddaddys sister Miss Phebe. He hired himself to his 
daddy for a time but I never knowed what worked he done. I never say nothing to 
him bout it cause some white folks gots strange ideas bout such things and best 
to let it family matters be. I clean every Monday while he is at work. He has 
him a big house and it takes most of the day to finish it up. I like the work 
but he gots him this big hound and that thing acts like he wants to eat me up. 
He has a chain round his neck but that may not hold him cause he looks strong 
to me. I work a lot in the kitchen cause I don’t think those people ever clean 
a dish. His kitchen bigger than the first house me and sis lived in when we 
went down to the Carolinas. Each of the bedrooms has a big bed and then chairs 
so a body can do them some sitting round fore they go to bed. Mister Brown told 
us that he be glad to see the preacher go cause he weren’t that good a preacher 
anyhow. It made Miss Odell mad and she told him that he better keep hush or god 
was going to strike him down. Mister Brown is a Christian man but he always 
talking bad bout other people. That man needs to sit himself down by Miss Terry 
cause by the time they are through be nobody they aint talked bad bout. 
Somedays it seem like we have had folks round us always talking bad bout other 
people since we were born. One thing bout the Persingers they looked after 
their own and nobody better be talking bad bout one of them lest they was their 
momma or daddy cause they would hush them up in a hurry. Miss Fridley always 
say that she pulled the weeds from her own garden and if she didn’t pull them 
maybe it cause she knowed they was there and wanted them there.

(December 1907) My children all come over for Christmas excepting David cause 
he is still working in the Carolinas but he done sent me five dollars. They 
give me a new pair of shoes and a wool coat with little pearl buttons. It sure 
is pretty and keep a body good and warm. Sis made up a couple of vanilla cakes 
and they were all eat up. Miss Mary and Miss Jones come over and stayed the 
night with me. I give them each a red scarf and I think they enjoyed 
themselves. I love my family but sis always be special cause me and her done 
raised each other. She never had her no man cause she never wanted to leave me 
and cause she alful shy around them. Course my children just like they were 
hers and she seen some my grandbabies more than me. I think somedays that god 
knowed how hard it be on us so he give us to each other to make it easier. Lord 
knows I never made it after my Adam pass without her. Some nights I think how 
it will be when one of us pass on and the other one here by theirselves. I 
don’t think that I would be able to go on. I have me my children and I love 
them all but me and sis been through so much together. 



(January 1908) Miss Nicely bought a quilt from me for her momma. I sold her the 
one that had the pieces from Miss Marys old flower dress and it was pretty. I 
used grandmas garden row pattern and was afeared that the flowers all be gone 
fore I finished it but thank sweet Jesus had me just enough. I been trying to 
recollect this big one that Miss Bowen had on her bed when I was little. It was 
done all in bright colors and was the prettyist thing but I don’t remember 
exactly had it was. Me and sis been trying to draw it up but never seem to get 
it right. I had me some black eyed peas with tomato bread and cabbage for the 
new year and sis done stayed the night with me. James took me over to the store 
and I bought me some coffee and sugar. I love my coffee and Miss Mary drink it 
plain but I got to have me some sugar in mine. It cant be no sin but I feel bad 
cause I could give that money to the church but Miss Jones say god want us to 
be happy. Course Miss Jones only drink her tea but she puts sugar in it. I 
don’t like the tea they fix up round here. Now my granddaddy Persinger could 
make him up Indian tea and I liked it. He made it out of bark and leaves and 
roots that he would boil in a big pot. I be wishing I could serve up some then 
Miss Jones know what real tea be like. Miss Nicely wants me to stitch her up a 
Bible cover so I need to get started after I get back from Mister Andrews 
tomorrow. It takes a lot of work but she always pays me good.

(January 1908) The weather been bad here. I use to love me a good snowfall but 
not anymore. Me and sis been hugging this old stove of mine trying to keep 
warm. Good thing we have a house full of heavy blankets and plenty of good food 
to eat. I made up some soup and we been eating on it all day. Sis says that she 
is going with me next time I cleans for Mister Andrews cause his house always 
warm. I like having sis with me cause I always feel at ease when she is with 
me. When we was little we would play in the snow all day and never come in til 
it was dark. When we come in grandma would call us her snow babies and make us 
get next to the fire and warm up. My James took that after me cause he was the 
same and loved him being in the snow. Every cat on the place is under my cook 
stove in the kitchen. Sis didn’t want to have me let them in but my cats hate 
the cold and snow and I aint leaving them out to freeze. Course sis aint bad 
bout cats like one of Miss Bowens kin. She say he come back from the war and 
her cats jumping all over the table and he tries and shus them but this one old 
cat still sits there looking at him so he gets his gun and they were all 
thinking that he was funning them and all of a sudden a shot goes out and that 
cat falls dead to the world. After that he never had to be saying nothing to 
cat or folks twice cause they knowed he might do it to them. I like having sis 
in the house with me on days like this. I know Miss Carol paying her to look 
after her place but I want her with me cause that the way it always been since 
we were little. I know she don’t like it none being over there by herself cause 
she has goy Amos to stay many a night with her. Me and sis wanted to get us 
some sewing done today but been to cold to do much work so we sit and talk. 
James say he never know how we can do us all that talking but I tell him that 
some times it like I was talking to the other half of myself cause we done seen 
and done all the same things and we knowed all the same people and sometimes 
she recollect some thing that I done forgot. Lord knows sis better at 
remembering names than me. I remember things that happened better than she do 
but I get myself messed up with names and dates.

That hateful dog of Mister Andrews up and died and Jesus knows that it made me 
happy cause I hated me that thing. He is having a party over at his place on 
Saturday and asked me to come over early in the morning and help with the 
cooking. I tell him yes cause he pays good and everything in his kitchen new 
and store bought so it will not even seem like work to me cause if I was home I 
would be cooking all day anyhow. Sis is going to bake up a couple of cakes for 
me to take over cause he say he would pay her for them. His sister wants me to 
sew up some dresses for her girls. They are the prettyist things and as well 
mannered as you please. When they come in the house they sit themselves right 
down on the divanport and never say a word til she say something to them. She 
has her a colored housekeeper but says she don’t do her no sewing. It is hard 
to believe that her and Mister Andrews is related cause he is a cold man but 
she is friendly and talks like we were best friends. She never acts like she 
has money and is better than the rest. I wish more people acted like her cause 
when she tells me that her housekeeper is colored she says it like it nothing 
to it the way you says a dress is blue. Some white folks says it like there is 
something wrong bout it but not her.



The new preacher come today. He is from up round Covington and I tell him I got 
me some people up that way. Sure is a good preacher and most of the people love 
him already excepting Mister Brown and he don’t like nobody. He says he is long 
winded but Mister Davis tells him it cause he gots a lot to say and he better 
be listening at him. Miss Beulah says he needs to be walking the ayle so that 
he get forgiveness. I liked me the last one we had but he was not as good as 
this one. His wife do act like she the last peacock on the farm but don’t 
bother me none. Miss Belle says it cause her family from up north gots them 
some money and they looks down on us poor folks. Sometimes I be wishing we had 
us some money but we are not hungry so guess that all a body can be wanting. 
Miss Eliza says that he reminds her of her daddy cause he looked like him. We 
had us a good one down in Carolina but the he passed and we got a new one and 
he could preach it good but after church he acted like he was ascared of every 
white man that come round. Some of the ladies told sis that his family had it 
hard during the war and that fore the Yankees come his master tried to kill him 
some of the slaves cause he say he rather see them dead than free. Where they 
was from after the war the whites were always putting coloreds in their place. 
I don’t know what they done to him but I know he was like a rabbit when there 
were any whites round him. A body got to stand on their own feet. Sis say we 
has us a problem with people that don’t cause all the people we knowed when we 
was growing up was strong people.

I almost marked out what I put down last time cause lord knows I have me a 
happy life. Thinking bout money is a sin when there aint no big need. I got me 
family and friends that loves me to death and God knows I love them. I could 
use a new cook stove and the floor nearly gone in the back room but I can make 
do. As long as a body can get around aint no need be complains bout what you 
aint got. Momma always say it aint what you don’t got its what you do got that 
is important. There Miss Terry be with more than most folks but her life aint 
that good. There Miss Mary got nothing but aint never sad. She reminds me of 
grandma Persinger. That woman be singing all the time just like my grandma. 
Miss Jones says she thinks Miss Mary was born around 1827 cause she was born in 
June 1829 but don’t know the day. She says her master done bought Miss Mary and 
her brother when she was bout seven and she recollects them saying that Miss 
Mary be five but she is not sure. As far as I can recollect grandma was born 
bout 1818 cause she say she was two years younger than granddaddy. Sis says 
that she recollects them talking bout some of her people way back being slaves 
but if they was I never knowed it. She says that grandmas daddy had done 
married him two or three women in his day cause he was so old he kept on 
outliving them. I don’t recollect her talking bout them any.

Yesterday was my Davids birthday and I miss him not being around. Sis made up a 
vanilla cake with nuts in it anyhow and we eat on it like he was here. I 
remember when that child was born and I was thinking that he never come. We had 
just come back from the Carolinas and were living over next to Miss Pinn and 
she come over and helped me and sis. It was two days fore he come and Miss Pinn 
says he was the biggest baby she ever seen. When I seen him I say that I never 
knowed how I was able to have him but Miss Pinn say that Jesus was with me. I 
called him David after the giant in the Bible but then a few years later 
learned that he was the giant killer and not the giant. I was sick for a couple 
of days after I had him but Miss Pinn had her some Indian blood and knowed how 
to make medicine so she fixed me up good. He is the lightest of mine and has 
him the prettyist hair I ever seen on a child. More than one person ask me if 
he was white. When I see him now I think how much he looks like my cousins 
Caleb and Bernard. They are good boys but have them an eye for the ladies. My 
David is a good boy but got him no head for women. Some men folk that way and I 
never been able to understand it. I hope he comes home soon for a visit but sis 
says we don’t need him here to have us a party. Sis is my best friend and I 
love her. She is always thinking of me and mine. I wish Miss Carol get herself 
back over this way cause I want sis with me all the time. I know women that 
don’t want their sisters round them all the time cause it puts them nervous but 
not me and sis. 

Something killed one of my laying hens last night so James come over and fixed 
up their pen for me. I love me that boy and be lost without him looking after 
me. He says that it don’t have him no pains at all any more. Tom done give me a 
big box of stuff the white folks he working for give him. I got me a good set 
of curtains out of it and some nice cloth pieces that I can cut up. There was 
an old reticule that I give to Miss Odell and some fancy buttons that I can 
use. He jokes with me and says I need to find me a man. I laugh course aint no 
way I want me another man. Lord knows that I loved his daddy cause he was a 
good man and we had us some good times but I never go through that again. He 
was always off working some place and me worrying myself to death. That man 
never ascared of hard work and brought every penny they pay him back to this 
house. Never wanted to spend a penny on himself excepting course for those 
cigars he always was smoking. He got along good with the kids and never was 
unfaithful to me and he treated sis and James like they was his own family. I 
miss him but I got me more than some days I can carry. Some days the load feels 
to heavy for a body to carry but you got to keep going cause that is what life 
is.

(March 7 1908) The preacher come to the house visiting and enjoyed it but him 
and Miss Odell were talking lot bout the war and I tell them that I don’t 
remember much bout it cause I was to little. I know that we were staying with 
some of granddaddy people over in Alleghany County when it was over. Miss Bowen 
and Miss Wolf come over and say that it done ended and they cries and Miss Wolf 
hug me and say it was going to be fine. I know that we had us some family that 
fought for the south but I don’t tell them nothing bout that cause I know they 
never understand. Sis says that she recollects that one day some soldiers come 
to the house and Miss Wolf was over and she takes us in the house and tells us 
to hide ourselves under the bed til they gone. Miss Bowen and Miss Fridley give 
them some food and a couple jugs of cider and they leave. Sis don’t know if 
they was from the south or the north. Miss Jones say it don’t matter cause if 
they were from the south they might have killed or beat us or taken us for 
slaves and sold us down south and if they were from the north they might have 
made us go with them. I say they never knowed Miss Wolf cause didn’t matter who 
they was nobody ever hurt us when she around cause she never let them. She was 
no big around as a do bad stick but I think she could run off a bear if she had 
her a mind to. Miss Eva says that when the Yankee soldiers come to her 
plantation they take most of the slaves with them but after a few days they 
leave them and Miss Eva says they were hungry and cold and wanted to go back. 
She says her daddy ascared that if the Confederates or patterollers catch them 
they hang the lot of them. After the war they settled down round Memphis for 
awhile. I aint never been there but would like to go there someday. Tomorrow is 
Sis birthday day cause it is March 8 so I need to get up early and fix up her a 
cake, I know she was born in 1857 which mean she be 51 but she says she not. I 
love her to death but she is alful vain.


We had us a bad storm here night fore last. The wind tore the roof off my back 
porch so the kids come over and patch it up for me. They brought that yappy dog 
with them again. The nippy thing worry a body to death. He put my cat in under 
the bureau. I told him next time I send him over to visit at Miss Marys. I 
don’t like me no wind cause it puts me in a mind of when we were living over at 
grandma Persingers place and the wind purt near took the place. They put all us 
kids down in the root cellar and we thinking we going to die. They give me and 
sis a sip of some wine to keep us quiet that granddaddy and his brother been 
making to sell. Only time in all my born days I had me any and aint planning on 
ever again but recken the lord forgive me this one time. I was so ascared but I 
look over and there is my granddaddy not a look of worry bout him at all. I 
knowed then that we were going to be safe cause aint nobody knowed more bout 
things then him. He tells me that the wind might take the house but we could 
always build back a house. Lord knows he was a good man. I fixed me a mess of 
greens for everybody and they give the bone to that troublesome dog. He dragged 
it over my new rug fore I put him out. My children know I don’t care for him 
but they bring him anyhow. I don’t never say nothing bout it cause at least 
they come and see me and I got me a boot if that thing bother me to much.

Something was up on my roof night fore last. It liked to put me in my death 
bed. I was to ascared to go out and look see. I was thinking that it be one of 
the spirits that my granddaddy Persinger use to tell us bout. He learned all 
bout them from his daddy. I don’t recollect how he called them but he say they 
move at night and can take them a human soul. They live in the shadows and you 
can see them sometimes if you walk in the dark and look at the shadow cause 
sometimes you stop but the shadow keeps on moving. He say when the first white 
folks come over this way that one of them goes out and don’t come back. They 
find him two days later and not a mark on him but he was all dried up like a 
piece of winter meat. This Indian man that was with them say to leave the body 
where it is cause it belongs to the spirits and if they move it the bad spirits 
be moving with it. They take him back and give him a Christian burying. The 
next day one of the men that done helped move him gets snake bit and up and 
dies. The day after that this old man that was with them falls in the river and 
they never find the body. That night some of the men dig up the man and take 
him back out in the woods and leave him where they find him and nothing else 
happens to them. Some people laughs bout such things but lots of things out 
there that people don’t know nothing bout. Like sis says you don’t have to 
believe in a bear for one to eat you up. When my little angel passed I heared 
him call me from the water. A momma knows the sound of her own baby. I was 
ready to walk right in that river and drown myself but sis stopped me. I know 
that it was one of those spirits fooling me. Even the Bible talks bout evil 
spirits and I believe they are real. My granddaddy knowed bout such things and 
how to protect against them but I never learned it so I put me my Bible under 
my pillow when I get ascared. I wish sis would come back and live with me cause 
some nights a body don’t want to be alone in the house.


There been a mountain of bad trouble round here for neigh on two weeks. Miss 
Adas boy done been messing with a white girl from town. Everybody is saying 
that it is Mister Reynolds girl. James say he seen him over at her place 
different times of the night. Her daddy ready to kill them both and some of the 
men working with him done come down here claiming they going burn him out. Miss 
Ada says it aint so cause he done been seeing a mulatto girl from down in 
Richmond. It don’t make no never mind to some of the white folks though cause 
they mad. White folks don’t put up with mixing. Sweet Jesus knows that my 
family done suffered cause of it all these years. I remember grandma Persinger 
telling us bout granddadys momma Miss Sara and how bout 1820 or so some white 
men over in Alleghany County say they going to come and kill her man cause he 
was an Indian and she was a white woman. The way granddaddy talk white folks 
was more ascared of wild Indians than anything and always talking bout the old 
days when Indians and whites been fighting in them mountains. She say that Miss 
Saras family never took to him being round Miss Sara but they say any man that 
came on the place wish he hadn’t cause those Persingers never give a body no 
trouble but everybody knowed that they put you in the ground if you brought 
trouble to them. Me and sis stayed with lots of those folks when we was little 
and that the way they was. They was good people and never fretted nobody but if 
anybody come to start some foolness they had to deal with them all and those 
people could be rough when they had to be. I know I was over there one day at 
granddaddys brothers place and there was a crowd of folks there and some I 
never knowed. This man grab me and tell me he going to take me into the bushes. 
Miss Mandy seen him and she hit him side of his head with a stick and told him 
to get out of his jug. He turned and hit her in the face and all those 
Persinger boys tore into him and I was thinking that they kill him fore they 
done. Some folks was ascared of them boys but not me cause we was blood and 
they looked after me and I never had to fret bout nothing. It done near give 
Miss Mary a death blow thinking patterollers coming after us all and going to 
burn us all out. They stayed a couple nights here cause her and Miss Jones 
ascared to be alone and they knowed James kill him any man white or colored 
that tried do me harm. James got him a quiet way but he is as strong as a bull 
and better noone rile him. He took that after his granddaddy cause that man 
like the rest of his family and never bother nobody but if someone fooled with 
him or his they better watch themselves.


I been working out in the yard. I think bout to many things when I stay in the 
house to much. All this trouble set me to wondering why white folks got so many 
problems with a persons color. My granddaddy always had him problems cause of 
it. Fore the war he was out on the other side of Botetourt down close to 
Carolina and these soldiers come up and asks him if he is Indian or colored. My 
granddaddy Persinger had him an Indian daddy and a white momma but he was 
thinking that something was wrong bout them asking. Where he was from everybody 
knowed him and knowed that he was Indian but there nobody knowed it. He tells 
them he is colored cause he knowed that the soldiers been sent to take all 
Indians out west. The soldiers tell him that if he is colored then they need to 
see his papers. He tells them that he is working at a plantation down the road 
and they can come and see for themselves if they like. They soldiers go off a 
short way in a different direction and granddaddy walks on like he belongs 
there and is doing his business but he sees them soldiers stop so he takes off 
in the woods. He hides himself in the brush til the next day and then makes his 
way home through the woods. Grandma say that it don’t make no sense cause if he 
was colored that might have took him for a runaway and if he was Indian they 
might have took him out west but if he was white and done killed himself some 
man the soldiers never bothered him bout it. Miss Eliza says that her momma was 
a free woman just fore the war and one day some slavers catch her and sell her 
off down south at an auction. She never got her freedom back til after the war 
and then she come back to Virginia. I never be able to understand it. Some 
folks need to be reading their Bibles.

(May 5 1908) Sweet Jesus knows today was hard on me cause it mean another year 
since my baby Adam been gone. James says he can take me over to the grave this 
summer and been thinking bout that all day. I think if I had me a reason for 
his passing on I could accept it better but my sweet angel never sick a day. I 
ask god to help me understand. Miss Pearl say she lost her a baby when he was 
not even a year old with the pox.  Says she still thinks bout him but don’t 
grive herself none cause she seen to many deaths in her life to be thinking 
bout it. Course she seen lots during the war. Says she seen a hanging fore she 
barely old enough to walk. Says they call all the slaves out and tells them 
they wants them to see what happens to a nigger when he do wrong. She watched 
him and says that poor man kicked and kicked fore he died. When the Yankees 
done set them free says they crossed a field and there were dead bodies and men 
dying all around and some boy no more than 14 with his arm blowed off walking 
round talking crazy and crying for his momma. They all run in the woods and her 
daddy says for her not to be looking back cause aint nothing they could do for 
those white soldiers. I guess if you sees all that you never the same. I cries 
after she tells me bout it all not cause it bothers me bout those white 
soldiers. They caused that war with a bunch of foolness. It bothered me cause I 
was thinking bout my little angel walking around heaven calling for his momma 
and near bouts breaks my heart. I know she was thinking that I done gone mad. I 
feel better after I had me a good cry but sorry that I done upset Miss Pearl. 
Good night sweet baby. Momma loves you and misses you.

We had us a family day at church after preaching. The preacher say for everyone 
to bring their family We all took food and most my kids and grandkids come. My 
David still working in Carolina with a bunch of Italian men and I wishes he was 
here.  Me and Miss Odell helped with a lot of the cooking and sis made three 
cakes. The older kids and men played ball and my James and Mister Davis played 
music so me and sis worked with the young kids playing us some games and 
telling stories. We got them all in a circle and sis tells them stories out of 
the Bible but when its my turn I tells them the story our granddaddy use to 
tell us kids bout the eagle. The eagle use to be all white cause it was a 
sacred bird and the spirits fill it with special powers that let it hunt good 
and fly higher than any bird in the sky. One day this eagle come to the river 
and this Indian man be fishing and he throws up a fish in the air and the eagle 
catches it. He flys to a big tree and eats the fish. Everyday the eagle returns 
and the man gives the eagle a fresh fish. One day it done rained hard and the 
rivers way up. The man was trying to fish while the eagle flys in the sky over 
his head. The man slips and falls in the water. The water so fast that the man 
is took far down river. The eagle lands in a big tree watching the man. A hawk 
in the tree says to the eagle why don’t he help this man that done give him 
fish to eat everyday. The eagle thinks bout it for a minute and then flys to 
the man and trys to pull him from the water but the man is to big. The eagle 
decides to give his power to the man. He flys down and lands on the mans back. 
He puts his claws in his back and all his special power leave his body and go 
into the man. The man gets strong and swims to the shore. He sees the eagle in 
a low tree but his white color is gone and instead he is all brown and black. 
The eagle tells him that he give him all his power to save him cause he owed 
him cause here the man been giving him all those fish and he never thanked him. 
The eagle says that now he will die for sure cause he never be able to hunt and 
fish again. The man says that he has some of the power left in him and he can 
put it back in the eagle but its not enough to fill him up. They think bout it 
for a while and then decide to put some in his head so his eyes be strong and 
some in his tail so his legs be strong for hunting and fishing. That’s why the 
eagle gots him a white head and a white tail and when a man sees it he knows 
what the eagle done for man and that he should give him respect. I think that 
we need to learn our kids bout the old stories cause noone bothering to put 
them down on paper and when we pass on they be gone to. Sis says she knows that 
the preachers wife is mad cause of what I done but I don’t care me a lick.


My cat done found her a box full of kittens out under the porch. Kids say I 
crazy for feeding the fool thing but I loves her and she the best ratter I ever 
had on the place. I plan on keeping me the little gray one with white on his 
belly. Ben done called the black one with white paws but say he has to be 
asking his father when he gets back from Roanoke. Miss Pearl say she might be 
wanting her one. The church was full of folks today. Miss Minni says that bad 
times brings folks to Jesus cause they gots themselves no where else to go. The 
preacher done helped Miss Adas boy move out and they going to stay with some of 
his people up round Covington til things gets better. It don’t make no never 
mind to some these holler head white folks wether you colored, Indian, mulatto 
or nothing. We aint white so we have got to keep our place or they going to put 
us in it. I recollect bout ten years back I was visiting over in Alleghany 
County and I see Miss Phebes girl in town. I see her and her man and she acts 
like she don’t half want to talk to me. I hear her tell her man that I knowed 
her momma. It bothers me but aint going to fret myself to death over it. She is 
mixed to but if she wants to act like she aint not my place to say different. 
Amos been coming by and I been helping him learn some Bible verses so he can 
say them in church. That boy is smart and is a joy to me. I know James thinks 
so to but he don’t show it much cause that aint his way. Course lots of them 
Persingers that way. I always knowed that they loved me but never was saying it 
much not like Miss Wolf or Miss Bowen done. Miss Mandy did but then she married 
herself in and weren’t no blood. Sometimes a body like to hear it even if they 
know it. I tell all mine everytime I see them that I love them cause a body 
never know if you see them again. I done learned me that lesson the hard way.

 There was a bat in my kitchen this morning. They have a nest up in my roof but 
this is the first time one got in the house. My granddaddy had him a story bout 
bats but I done forgot it. Sis says that is why I need to write everything 
down. The preacher say today that witches aint real and that done upset sis and 
Miss Jones cause they say they are. Sis says that one of Miss Fridley kin over 
in Alleghany County was a real witch. One day she was walking down the road and 
sees some people hog killing and tells them she sure likes to have her some 
sausage meat. They say she can buy her some but they knowed she had her no 
money. Next day they go out and all them hogs done died. After that when they 
seen her coming by they takes her out something. Sis says she could heal 
sickness. When a body took the fever she would fix up something and they almost 
always get better. One man catch her round his hen house one day taking her 
some eggs and he run her off. That night his hen house burned down and folks 
tell him that he knowed better than get her mad that he lucky it was not his 
house. Miss Bowen had her hair falling out her head and she goes to her and 
pays her. She makes up some charms and fore long her hair done growed back 
full. Daddy say that Miss Sara granddaddys momma had her what folks calls the 
eye. She could look at a woman and tell her what her baby was going to be. She 
could see things bout the future but never had her no charms. Grandma goes to 
her fore she has her Ruth and says that she tells her that she be having a girl 
but she says she sees a shadow on her babies head. Grandma say that fore she 
was a month old death done took her. Grandma say Miss Phebe got it from her 
momma Miss Sara cause it always pass from the momma to her daughters. Miss 
Jones says they had them this slave on her plantation and both her parents were 
African. She says she was a witch and even the master was ascared of her. She 
says when she got herself tired she stop working and nobody say nothing to her 
but let another slave stop and they get a beating. She says she looked them 
white folks right in the eye and them white folks looks away cause everybody 
knows that if you looks a witch in the eye she can take your soul. I tells them 
that it aint our preachers fault cause he don’t believe in such things. He just 
don’t know how things be cause he is from the city. Folks from the mountains 
know bout such things cause they lived it and a body that didn’t know bout how 
things was died in them mountains. Granddaddy always say that the mountains can 
be your best friend or worse enemy it was up to you as to what it was.


(June 1908)  James give me a new Bible for my birthday and I love it cause mine 
was falling to pieces and always be feeling bad taking it in the lords house. I 
was a little mad cause sweet Jesus knows that James needed him that money but 
James says that cause he don’t go often enough now it be like he is there with 
me every Sunday. Lord knows I loves me that boy. I give my old one to Miss 
Jones cause she don’t got her one. She don’t do her no reading cause she never 
had her no learning but says it sure feels good having the word of god in her 
own hands. I never wanted to give it to her cause it was to pieces but she say 
don’t matter cause the word of god is the word of god and she never read it 
anyhow. Momma had her one with all the names and dates wrote down but sis say 
one day she sneaks in her room and her and my name not wrote down. It don’t 
bother me none cause we was not her kids. I miss my other brothers and sisters 
but sis and me got each other and I don’t do me much visiting cause sis don’t 
want to visit them. I always got on good with William and some of the others 
but sis has her ways. Somedays I think that maybe my David is like sis. Maybe 
he loves his brothers and sisters but never want to be around them cause of 
something that done happened. Maybe cause he is so light colored he don’t feel 
like he belongs. I often think that was why granddaddy the way he was cause 
there his own twin brother light and he was so dark. I asked James bout it and 
he says that David is walking his own road and not to worry myself bout it but 
it is hard when it is your own baby. James know how it is cause his Linda gots 
her own ways to.

It may be sinful to be bragging on my family but I got to say that my Amos made 
me proud. He won the Bible verse saying at church by more than ten verses and 
they give him a blue ribbon with a cross on it. That boy aint had him no 
schooling but he can hear something one time and he knows it from then on. When 
it was just him and Sam left up there my stomach was bout jumping out my body 
and I look at sis and she was the same way. Miss Cora was so sure her boy going 
to win that thing and here my grandbaby take it. After it was done she was 
telling how he knowed more verses but got nervous and how he was the smartest 
boy in the church. All I have to say is that the test of the cook is in the 
eating of the cake and my Amos done won. Amos say he wants me to hang it up in 
my house cause he over here most of the time anyhow and I was so pleased that I 
nearly cried. The lord been good to me and mine. There my James as good as boy 
as ever walked and all my children done good. Sis tells him that we are going 
to fix him up all his favorites to show him how proud he done made us. I give 
thanks to sweet Jesus for my family. 

Miss Eliza come over and stayed all day with me and sis. She says her 
granddaughter and her husband done moved in with her. Miss Terry says its cause 
he done been in some trouble over there in Tennessee. I hopes that boy don’t 
cause no trouble for her cause she don’t need it. She been sick with some pain 
in her chest for months now. She says that Miss Elizas girl say she don’t want 
her momma or her daughter moving in with her. That don’t make no good sense to 
me why a child treat their own momma and girl that way. Everyone I got is 
welcome to come live with me even if we have to sleep five to a bed. Me and sis 
sleep many a night in a hay barn when we were growing up. Family is family and 
you do for your family when they need you. To many folks done forgot what it 
means to be a family. Miss Fridley always say that blood is blood and you do 
for your own and don’t never do no complaining bout it. There my David been 
gone for years but if he was to come here tomorrow with a wife and ten children 
I be the happiest woman there is and tell them all to stay right here with me. 
Jesus know what a body do and if I was her girl I would be doing me some 
thinking bout that. 

We were out in the garden most of the day and had us a good time visiting. I 
put my old chair out in the garden for Miss Jones and she would grub round a 
while then sit and talk. She says made her feel like she was the masters girl 
looking out on her slaves and we all laughs. I give James a basket of tomatoes 
to take home with him. Ben took his kitten home with him and my momma cat been 
walking through the house looking for it. I tell her she still got her three 
left. I wish I could run like I done when I was little cause a day like today 
was made for running and playing. I been thinking bout my first love today but 
I don’t say nothing bout it cause sis don’t like me talking bout him. Some 
things best left in the past but a person cannot help how they be feeling. I 
loved me that man and I knows that he loved me. I wonder if he ever be thinking 
bout me. He would make me feel like I was special and nothing in the world 
could hurt me. We would talk most of the day and not like most folks be talking 
but like every word you say was important. He scratched mine and his names on 
this old apple tree out by the barn and when he was done I would go down and 
rub my fingers over it til I was ascared that I rub them off. I could stare at 
that man all day long cause he had him the prettyist eyes I ever seen on a man. 
My David always put me in a mind of him. I was thinking that we would be 
together for all time. Course wanting and getting two different thing so no 
need to be questioning god now bout it but I did love him. I feel bad somedays 
cause I loved me two men in my days and sis aint had her none. I know she liked 
her this one when we was living in Carolina. His name was Charly Reed and Lord 
knows that man was a talker. He tried to talk with her a time or two but she 
was to shy to even talk to him. He ended up marrying this woman and sis says 
she got the uglyist hair and teeth she ever seen on a woman and I was thinking 
that she should have married her that man cause sis was a pretty woman. She 
still is and could get her a man if she wanted her one cause she is a hard 
worked and gots her a big heart. I wonder if she ever thinks of him if she do 
she never says it.

I think I got me the best garden ever. I pulled a couple of tomatoes off and 
they was as big as saucers and as sweet as a body could want. Sis made us up a 
green tomato pie with some of the small green ones and we picked us a bucket 
full of beans and cooked them with some pork fat. I give a mess of beans and 
some tomatoes to Miss Lewis cause she always be giving me stuff. Linda come by 
the house and visited with me and sis. First time she been here in ages. James 
says that her and her momma aint talking. James loves that girl like she was 
his cause she was just seven years old when he married him her momma. Her real 
daddy run off fore she was two so James the only daddy she ever knowed. Course 
aint hard to figure out why he done left her but Linda was his and he should 
have been thinking bout her. I don’t know what the problem is but something is 
wrong but lord knows she never talk to me bout it. I tell her that she can tell 
me anything and I never whisper a word of it to her momma cause that is what a 
grandma is for but she keeps saying aint nothing wrong so aint my place. Sis 
says it cause the family knows I don’t want me no trouble brought in my house 
but if there is trouble I want to know bout it. I think sis knows but if they 
tell her not to say that woman never speak a word to nobody not even me cause 
she knows how to keep her a secret. I know that I can tell her something and 
she keep it with her forever.


Miss Bushs boy done come over and ask me show him how to write some. He aint 
never had him no learning cause where they was from weren’t no colored school. 
He says he can pay me with some yard goods. He been working over at the Mr. 
Peters place but says that he has got to write his name to the paper every week 
when they pay him his money. He knows some letters but don’t know how they go. 
He done been making his mark on the paper but say Mr. Peters done told him he 
needs to be writing his name. Sis always say that I would make a fine teacher. 
I never got to be one but made sure all mine got them some learning. We had us 
a colored school down at the church in Carolina and me and sis would help the 
children with their learning. One day some white men go to the preacher and 
tell him it would be a shame if his church burned down cause of some foolness 
he let go on there. He closed the school cause say that church for learning 
bout god and that was the most important thing. I lost me all respect for that 
man after that cause if he was a true man of god he would of turned it over to 
Jesus and let him help protect us. I know me and sis would of taken our turn at 
guarding the church and they might have beat us down but fore they did they 
have had a fight. Sis may be little but that woman can swing her a stick like 
she mean it. When I was little I always liked me reading the best course we 
never had us many books but grandma Persinger would borry us some from Miss 
Bowen or Miss Fridley. I miss those woman cause they was like  angels to me and 
sis. Somedays I wish I was little again but then a body thinks bout the hard 
days and lord knows we seen us some. I use to think that it would be best if we 
was all Indian or all white or all colored cause then a body fit in somewhere 
but when you is mixed you never feels like you belongs with any of them. I know 
now why so many of granddaddys people told everyone they weren’t mixed cause 
when you aint you has fewer troubles. Course a body don’t have no say in such 
so gots to accept it cause never change it.


I wore me my new calico to church. Miss Odell say it look store bought. Don’t 
mean to be prideful but it do fit me fine. Had an Indian man come to church 
today. He is a friend of Miss Terrys. Asked me if we had Indian blood cause he 
could see it in my face. I tell him that we is Indian to. He ask me if we can 
talk Indian and I tells him no but that my granddaddy could. Daddy say that he 
used to speak it with some of his family. One day he was out and talked it and 
some white men say that they don’t want no African talk. Such things scare 
whites near to death and they apt to beat or hang somebody. I don’t think he 
ever talked it again. Miss Jones say her daddy made some whites mad while he 
was in town for his master. They come in the middle of the night and done 
whipped him to the bone for master ever got there to stop them. She say he 
tells them you want to beat him to death then you pay me for him first. I told 
him bout that my granddaddy was part Christian and part Indian and prayed in 
the Indian way. I don’t know nothing bout how he done it cause he always went 
out alone. I thought it was cause he be ascared of whites seeing him but 
Grandma say that was the Indian way. They don’t have no building cause the 
woods is their church and they have their own special days. Some of my family 
still do them but some thinks it will cause problems with the whites cause 
whites don’t like for coloreds to do such. He says that most of his people are 
Christian but a few of the old ones still do the old ways. Miss Terry says that 
she is going to go with him out west cause she wants to get away. Somedays I be 
wishing I could go to but then I love my family and friends here. Lord knows we 
done moved and moved from place to place over the years that a body glad to be 
in one place for more than a few years. 

The fever done hit us bad. Seems like most every house got somebody sick. The 
preacher sick so had no church today. First Sunday I not in church in a long 
time. It put me in a mind of when me and sis first went to Carolina. I think it 
was bout 1878 cause we was living up in the mountains and some fever hit. 
Seemed like we put a lot of good folks in the ground that year and then as 
quick as it come it was gone. James been working down in Petersburg and I wish 
he was here. Most folks here not got no money for a doctor. My granddaddy use 
to make a tea out of roots and peach leaves for such things. Learned it from 
his daddy but don’t no one remember how to make it. I knowed how to make it 
when I was young but done forgot. I feel bad but got to keep on. Most everyone 
else in the family not sick yet so thank God. Miss Pearl says that Miss Mary is 
in a bad way. I need to go see her but I dont want to go out til I feel better. 
If James was here I would send her over soup. I know that Miss Jones take good 
care of her but she so old that she not able to look after herself most days 
but lord knows she tries. She feels bout her like I do sis and aint nothing I 
would not do if she was sick. I pray that sweet Jesus look after all mine and 
keep them close to him. 

James come back last night and I sure was happy to see that boy. He give me 
some money and a new Sunday hat. It is black with little white feathers in it 
and has it a lace trim. He says they worked him hard but pays good. Him and a 
group of men was living together down there so he didn’t need be worrying bout 
cooking cause others done it. I been doing sewing all week. I went over to Miss 
Wilson to give her her fitting. That woman is so hard to please. I got to fix 
the sleeves cause now she wants cuffs on them. She gots herself the biggest 
house I thinks I ever been in. You could fit most my house in her parlor I 
bets. She gots herself a big fireplace with all kinds of decorations round it 
and a big painting of her husband hanging on the wall. Miss Jones says that it 
has six or seven bedrooms. She says when I finishes with her dress she wants me 
to sew her up some new curtains. Bens kitten up and died on him. I think that 
dog of Amos done worried it to death. I don’t know why they keep the fool 
thing. He done eat up their rug and always in some mess but they say they love 
him like he was part of the family. Course I never say much cause I got me a 
houseful of cats and I love them. I need to sew me up a new dress to go with my 
new hat. James brung sis a hat to and it is made like mine excepting where mine 
is black hers is white with black feathers and the lace is more of a light 
blue. Sis always look good in blue and I know she will love it even more cause 
it come from James.

I had me a new cat show up on my porch yesterday He is a pretty thing but wants 
to try and get in the house all the time. I was ascared that I was going to 
fall right over him cause he always round my feet. I cooked me up a pot of 
tomatoes and corn and had me piece of cake bread. James give me some buttermilk 
so I been eating good. Sis stayed with me a couple of nights. She been helping 
me with my sewing. I bout finished with Miss Wilsons curtains. I took her dress 
over to her and it fit good. Her friend was over there and says that she wishes 
she had her some darky to sew up her some dresses. I was mad and Miss Wilson 
knowed it but I don’t say nothing cause I needs the money. I aint no darky and 
don’t want no white women thinking they better than me calling me one. They got 
them all the money they needs but still feels that they needs to put people 
like me in our place. Somedays I hates me people like that but Jesus say we got 
to forgive them. It makes me mad that so many white folks got themselves this 
problem with color and I want to ask if it makes them feel more white when they 
say such things. Amos and Ben come by and those boys know how to do them some 
eating. Course I know they don’t get them none when they home less they fix it 
up themselves. Not a word one bout Linda and we never asked cause we don’t want 
to put them in nothing. I worry bout her but not much a body can do bout it. 
She knows that she can come by and talk with me if she has a mind to.

Tom come by and give me a big coon. Me and Miss Odell cooked him up with onions 
and it sure was good. My grandma could cook her up one that was one of the best 
things I ever put in my mouth. She cooked hers with apples. Miss Jones says she 
likes coon with onions better. When she was a slave she says they eat coon 
whenever they could. They also cooked up possum and it was better than chicken. 
Miss Mary is not feeling good so she stayed home. Miss Jones says that she 
keeps on talking bout her kids. Miss Jones remembers the day they sold Miss 
Marys family. She says that the Master never says no word to her bout what he 
plans to do. Early one morning he come with the overseer and a couple of white 
men and they drags her man and her kids from their cabin. Miss Mary begs him to 
sell her with her kids but he says she is going to stay. She run after the 
wagon yelling and crying til one of the men beat her. Even then says that he 
would knock her down and move off but Miss Mary get right on up and go after 
them again. The Master yell for some of the slaves to hold her fore he kill her 
dead. It took near a month fore she talk after that. Miss Jones knowed how it 
was cause the Master sold her kids at auction to and she never seen them again. 
She says that everybody knowed that he run a breeding plantation. He would buy 
up lots of women slaves and put them with a man and when the children old 
enough to fetch a good price he would sell them at auction. She says he was 
always in the jug and would gamble and then lose loads of money and then sell 
some slaves to pay off what he done lost. After he sells off Miss Marys family 
he sends another man to her cabin but Miss Mary tells him that he can stay in 
the cabin but if he touches her she cut his throat in his sleep. She says he 
let her be cause he knowed she would do it. I loves me that woman cause Miss 
Mary got her a good heart and when she pass Jesus take in right in with him. I 
remember grandma talking bout the law taking Miss Saras babies from her. Say 
she look the man right in the eye and say that she not able to stop him but if 
ever see him out on the road maybe she cut him from chest to post and he told 
her that then the law be hanging her and she say that not matter cause he be 
dead already. She say whenever he come up that way after that he always have a 
man with him so Miss Sara not cut him up like a winter hog.


Done been a while since I do me any writing. Lord knows it been hard on me 
cause I  been bad sick and was thinking that sweet Jesus ready to call me home. 
I been thinking bout what I want to say to my grandbabies. I done learned a lot 
bout myself and I got to say that it weren’t all good. I always had me a 
problem with making myself a judge of others. There all these years I been 
talking bad bout Miss Wilson cause of the way she acts but also cause she is 
white and has her some money. When I was sick the preacher tells her and she 
had her hired man come to my house and bring me food and he says that Miss 
Wilson wants me to know that if I need something to just send her word. He 
tells me that she pays him good and that she even sends his family gifts. He 
says that she never comes to the colored part cause it wouldn’t look right 
cause her people strict and they don’t know nothing bout coloreds excepting 
what they hear bout those good for nothing ones always causing trouble. He is 
right cause some of those boys be getting into trouble all the time drinking 
and acting fools that a body ascared to go out at night. One thing I know aint 
none of mine ever caused no trouble. Like the Bible says you got to raise them 
right. If they were in church more wouldn’t be no time to get into some 
foolness. Fore he leaves he give me a letter and when I open it up there out 
falls more than six dollars. Sweet Jesus knows how bad I needed it.  In the 
letter she says that she is sorry bout me being sick and bout how her friend 
acted when I was at her place. It made me feel bad cause here I been talking 
how bad she was to everyone all these years and turns out what I was thinking 
was a devil turns out to be an angel. Grandma Persinger always say that folks 
is folks. There are good whites and bad whites and good blacks and bad blacks 
and cause we are mulattos we have twice as many to be good or bad to us. Some 
blacks are mean to us cause they think we to white and white folks that think 
we are to black. She say that when we see a white man or a colored man or an 
Indian man we better be thinking that he could be a cousin of ours so we better 
treat him with respect cause being mean is a sin but if you are mean to family 
it’s a bigger sin.  I asked the lord to forgive me and I done promised to do 
better.

(February 1909) It has been to cold to be doing much visiting so I been in the 
house by myself most of the day. I done me some sewing but it is hard on a body 
being in the house alone. I been thinking bout all my family and it is hard 
somedays cause I miss them. I think bout them all the time. Yesterday was my 
Adams birthday and I miss him as much today as ever. I think bout all mine that 
done passed.  My granddaddys brother died bout six years back and I wanted to 
go to Ritch Patch when they buried him. He was a good man and always treated me 
and sis good. Sis say she thinks he was a hard man but I know he had him a good 
heart and he loved us. He was with the south during the war but it aint his 
fault that so many has problems with a persons color and started that war. 
James told me that he would take me but I knowed that Bernard would be there 
and a part of me wanted to see him but I knowed that it would a been hard. 
Somedays I wish I was a stronger woman cause I let them stop us but that not my 
way. When James takes me up to see my sweet Adam I plan on going over and 
paying my respects. Seems like more of mine in the ground then with me 
somedays. I thank god my James and sis with me and not been took. I never be 
able to live with that. Amos come by for a while and I fixed him up some eggs. 
I aint getting enough to sell right now so get to eat up the few I get 
ourselves. I love them fried with onions and potatoes and some pork fat. Amos 
can do him so eating when he has him a mind to. He sets me in a mind of when 
James was his age. James is a good daddy to his and I give thanks to god for 
him everyday.


Somedays the world seems so mixed up to me. I was talking with sis and she says 
that grandma say that in the past some of the Persingers owned them a couple of 
slaves. Grandma say that she recollected Miss Sara talking bout it. I don’t 
like to think that my blood family would ever do some foolness like that but 
sis says that the past is the past and it don’t make her no never mind anyhow 
cause all those folks are long dead. Miss Terry says that even some Indians 
owned themselves some black slaves and that bothers me to cause what if my 
Indian relations were slave owners. It is enough to worry a body to death. The 
Bible says that the sins of the daddy fall down on their kids so a body has to 
think that be why so much bad falling on us all. I try and talk with the 
preacher bout it but he don’t seem to understand. I never do no talking bout it 
round Miss Jones cause I know it would upset her thinking of mine maybe owning 
some of hers cause it upsets me. Somedays I wish I never knowed nothing bout 
the ways things were. Miss Eliza says she never lets herself think bout the way 
thing were cause don’t do no good anyhow. That woman done seen her more than 
her share of troubles and just wants to forget what she done seen. Maybe I need 
to me more like her but sis say a body never change their nature.I use to have 
me long talks with Miss Amanda bout things and she always say that aint no use 
looking back cause aint nothing there and aint no use looking forward cause you 
aint there yet the only thing you can do is try and stand where you at without 
falling down. I do think that a body needs to know when they done been cause 
that is the only way to learn but then if a body dwell on things to much that 
aint good.


 I been wanting to write for some time now but had to work me up the courage to 
do it. The preacher says that if we want forgiveness for our sins then we got 
to admit them. I been carrying me a big one all these years and never told a 
soul not even my babies. The problem is that it eats at you year after year til 
all you feel is the pain and the shame of what you done. When I was little I 
use to pray to god to make me white. I figured since I was part white already 
it wouldn’t be hard for him to do it. I use to pray hard and rub my face with 
vinegar til it bleed. I was thinking that if I was white I could stay over at 
some of granddaddy Persingers relations in Alleghany County. They always had 
them pretty things to be wearing and good food and when they walk around nobody 
look at them likes they don’t belong. I tell god that if he can only make one 
of us white to make it me. I told him that being lighter than sis it be easy to 
do it for me. Sweet Jesus knows I love sis and I never understand why I say 
it.  It done been a burden on my soul all these years. When my sweet Adam 
passed I was thinking that maybe god punished my baby cause of what I done or 
that he figured I never be loving me no dark baby since I wanted him to be 
white. When my David come I was thinking how I wished that my Adam had been 
that white looking and then was ascared that maybe god take him from me to. I 
know better now but the sore is still there. Maybe all these years I been 
hating Miss Wilson cause in my soul I wanted to be her. I never understand why 
I ask god to make me white and not sis to. Sweet Jesus forgive me cause that 
aint true. I was thinking that two children be a burden but one more white 
child not be nothing. I wanted to stay even if sis had to go. Somedays I hated 
her cause she was so dark that when we was together everybody knowed we was 
mixed but when I was by myself lots of whites took me for white. My mind was 
evil to be thinking that way and some days I hate myself for ever thinking that 
way.

This been a good day. All mine doing good and the cat finally catch that mouse 
that been in my kitchen for the last week. Course the fool thing brought it to 
the foot of my bed and left it there. It like to send me to Jesus when I seen 
it there. I sold me three dresses that I sewed up for Miss Pitzer. She says she 
wants me to make her up two more and be sending me the cloth the first of the 
week. She says she knows a couple of others that might be wanting me to sew 
them up some stuff. I love to sew and never seem like work. We had us an all 
day service at church cause we has a visiting preacher from Norfolk. He sure do 
preach it but something bout him just don’t sit right with me. He don’t have 
the look. My grandma always say a true man of god has the look and when you 
sees him you knows that he is a man of god. Sis up and left fore it was over 
cause her back been troubling her but I know its cause he don’t have the look. 
I got me a letter from my David and he send me some money. He says that he 
likes his job and they are good to him. I want that boy to be happy but I miss 
him. James give me a book on spelling so I can write better. I still have 
trouble with some words cause they sound the same and some words with e at the 
end cause it don’t make no sound. I thank god everyday for giving me that boy. 
There aint a son is this world that could be any better. I hear so many at 
church talking bout how bad their children do them and I know that I be a lucky 
momma cause all mine love and care bout me.

I done me a lot of thinking bout things and decide to talk out my sins with sis 
and pray to sweet Jesus that she understand and forgive me for how I was 
thinking when we were little. I told sis bout asking god to make me white when 
we were little and not asking him to make her white cause I wanted to stay. I 
nearly cry myself to death trying to tell her. She just laughed and told me she 
prayed for god to make her white to cause I was light enough that if god made 
her white she was sure the white folks let both of us stay with them. I hug her 
and we both laugh ourselves sick cause of the foolness we had us when we were 
little. I love her to death cause she always been with me through the hard days 
and the good. When I lose my second baby she stayed right with me for a week 
and never leave my bed. James still calls her momma two cause says she around 
as much as me and don’t bother me none cause I still momma one. After my sweet 
baby Adam passed she went with me to Carolina and lived with me there. I knowed 
she hated it there but she stayed cause of me. When I lost me my Raymond she 
stayed with me and my children and if her and James not there I never have made 
it. I tell her all the time that she needs to live with me here cause lord 
knows I got me plenty of room and she is here most of the time anyhow but she 
say she promised Miss Carol to look after her place. Sweet Jesus knows that I 
feel better now that we done talked out all that foolness. There is still a 
part of me inside that I never understand. If I look in my mirror the person I 
see aint the person I feel like. Maybe I never understand it. All I know is 
that god done blessed me with a family that I love more than my own life.

We had us a quilting over at church on Saturday. Miss Roses girl getting 
married so we was making one for her. She comes by and thanks us but never 
picked herself up no needle. Miss Eva says she is the laziest one woman she 
ever seen in her life but I know at least one that got her beat but I never say 
nothing cause family matters best kept at home. She says she don’t know nothing 
bout cooking so hopes her man don’t mind going hungry cause he be living on 
love and little else. One thing for sure all mine done learned them some 
cooking for they could hardly walk. Course James learned it the best cause he 
had to help when I had the others but he don’t like it but bet some days he be 
thanking Jesus he can cause they would starve to death waiting on his woman to 
do it. To be honest Tom the worse cause he burns everything he touches. I do it 
good but Sis is better than me. Now my Sara can bake up the best tomato bread a 
body ever eat. Glad that they done come back cause I miss them when they are 
not here. They been visiting with his people up in Maryland. I wish David get 
himself home cause I aint seen that boy in ages. James fixed me up some new 
bedposts cause mine were in bad shape and done been ascared that one night I 
end up on the floor. I never know how that boy finds the time to do all the 
things he do.

Miss Terry and her Indian friend had me and sis over and she fixed up a nice 
meal. He says that his Indian name means jumps in the river but I never be able 
to write it down in Indian. He says that both his parents were Indian. He looks 
to me older than Miss Terry but I never asked him cause that aint my place. His 
aunt married up with some colored man so he come to Virginia with his momma so 
they could visit. He don’t have him no long hair and dresses like everybody 
round here. He says that most Indians dress that way now. I know that aint all 
true cause me and sis lived in Carolina and some of them Indians there still 
wear them long hair but most do dress like everyone else but they still talk 
Indian. Sis tells him that she remembers Miss Fridley talking bout granddaddy 
Persingers daddy. He was an Indian man and she says that he carried him a bag 
round his neck like granddaddy had. He tells us how Indians use things for 
charms and that a man has animals that have meaning for that man. He says that 
different types of Indians each has them their own ways. The ways they dress is 
different and the way they wear feathers has meaning. He says that they use 
tobacco as part of their religion and I was telling him bout granddaddy having 
him some round his neck. I was wanting to talk to him some more but Miss Terry 
never keep hush for nothing. She says that she is going with him when he goes 
back out west and that she might just decide to stay if she likes it there. She 
says to many crazy people around here for her liking. She was talking bout how 
Miss Adas boy done caused all this trouble for us colored folk when she knows I 
don’t like to be called colored by her. Then she was talking bad bout Mister 
Davis and how he done folks and that Miss Coras girl was with a baby and nobody 
knowing who the daddy be. I tell sis when we get home that Miss Terry never 
have a kind word for nobody.

(May 5 1909) My sweet baby Adam it done been another year and momma still 
misses you everyday but this day more than most. If I could bring you back with 
my own life I would my sweet angel. I pray to god that you are happy and I know 
that I will see you again. I done stiched your name on my pillow so I sleep 
with you every night. Sis says she prays for you and loves you. I know that 
Jesus is with you. You gots you a whole house full of sisters and brothers and 
nieces and nephews that one day be with you and when that day comes there be a 
party like heaven aint never seen. My dear angel my heart feels somedays like 
its going to break apart cause you are gone from me and it never be right til I 
see you in heaven. Good night my sweet baby. 

(May 1909)  I been practicing with my writing book but don’t know how to write 
some of the big words so been practicing. Sis come over last night to remind me 
that my birthday is next week. Say I got me a mirror and don’t need no 
reminding cause I see it everyday. I ask sis bout if granddaddy Persinger 
needed him papers to travel. Miss Jones says that mulattos had to have them 
papers saying they were free or they would be sold. She says when she was a 
slave the Master buy himself a light colored mulatto man at the auction. He 
tells them that he was a free man from up around Maryland but the slave 
catchers done grabbed him and sold him cause he don’t have no papers saying he 
is free. A few months later he runaway and says she never heared what happened 
with him but says she hopes he made it to freedom. She says she was thinking 
bout running off but after the Master had busted her leg she knowed that she 
would never get far off. Sis says she thinks him and grandma had them some 
papers but she never seen them cause we was little and after the war they 
didn’t need them no papers anyhow. I wish I could recollect all these things 
now but when I was little I never payed much mind to the things they tell me 
and now it seem like they the most important things I want to know. James give 
me a big fan made all out of feathers. He says I can set myself out on my back 
porch and fan myself like I was a real princess. I tell him I aint no princess 
that I always be the queen. We laugh so hard that we nearly made ourselves 
sick. I always have me a good time when that boy is here. Some days it is like 
god made that boy just for me and sis to love.

My garden is looking good. Miss Jane give me some flower seeds and I put them 
in front of the corn. I don’t know what kind they are but some of them is the 
prettyist I ever seen. One has got these big red flowers on it that looks like 
a small saucer and some is pink with a little white in them. The preacher was 
saying that we have got to count our blessing so we know how much god loves us. 
I done seen all my children growed up with children of their own. I got me a 
sister that I loves as much as my children and that loves me. I got me a house 
that aint to hot in the summer and not to cold in the winter. I got me my 
health and all mine got them good health. I got me more enough food to eat and 
enough money to do me. I got me a trade and all mine got them one to. Me and 
sis has us enough learning to read and write what we wants. All my children has 
them some learning. I got me a nice church to go to and friends that love me. I 
got me more cats than most and I love them and they love me. I have room to put 
me out a nice garden and run me some chickens. I always have me some folks 
wanting me to work for them. I have me a new Bible that lets me read the word 
of god whenever I want. I have more than enough coffee to drink and lord knows 
I likes me my coffee. I have me some nice clothes to wear and I can stitch me 
up almost any design I see.

There was a big black snake in my henhouse eating him some of my eggs today. I 
retched in the nest to get me my eggs and something moved. It bout near stopped 
my heart till I seen that it was just a black snake and not no poisonous one. I 
killed it with my ax not cause he could do me harm but cause if I don’t he will 
come back everytime he is hungry and I needs me my eggs. Now Miss Fridley would 
cook her up a snake but I aint never eat me one. Sis did and says it was good 
cause she cooked it up with some pork fat and onions. I got me a letter from my 
brother. Been ten years since I had me any word from him. He says he loves me 
and sis and that his family is doing good. I read the letter to sis but she 
didn’t say nothing. I know she thinks bout them all but that wound never healed 
and so nothing a body can do bout it. I loves me that woman but somedays I 
don’t understand her. She has her a big heart when it comes to me and my kids. 
I think our daddy and momma did the best they could but no need to say it cause 
she not want to listen. My brother ask me to write him bout granddaddy and his 
people cause he wants to know the ways of granddaddy Persingers people. I wrote 
him a long letter and put all I could recollect bout him and his daddy and Miss 
Sara. I liked soing it cause some of daddys children don’t care them nothing 
bout how things was but it is important for a person to know bout their people. 
I never told sis cause she never want to know what I done anyhow. I made me and 
sis some bacon bread and we eat it all up. I never know how she can eat the way 
she do and still as little as a bird. My Marys the same way.  I seen her eat 
half a vanilla cake at one sitting. I always tell her that sis must be her real 
momma. Tom is working on some building down in Richmond. That boy is a hard 
worker and I know he do good.

(June 1909) My red hen hatched her out 15 chicks and cant think of a better 
birthday present than that. Good thing we got that snake out in the henhouse or 
they all be gone.  They are the cutest things. I love watching a hen scratch 
round with her babies. I can sell every egg I get so I like it when they hatch 
a big brood. When we were living down in Carolina we always had us some 
chickens and use to raise up a couple of hogs but don’t have no room here for 
any hogs. I liked having them on the place but me and sis never liked them at 
killing time. We had to get up early and start water boiling and we would work 
until it was done and sometimes it went all through the next night. I love me 
my pork but not all that work. We would sell what we didn’t need and always 
folks ready to pay for good pork meat. Now sis can cook her up a pork pie and 
it is the best thing. My Mary can cook her up some good pork when she has her a 
mind to. We had us a root cellar in Carolina and it was always full of stuff we 
put up and could eat all year off it. Course the house was alful small with 
only two rooms. Me and Raymond and the boys would sleep in the small room off 
the kitchen and sis and the girls would put them out some blankets on the floor 
in the kitchen and sleep there. We only had one window in the kitchen and one 
small one in our room. Raymond was always talking bout building on but we never 
got round to it. Sometimes during the summer the boys would sleep out on the 
porch. I never minded it being small I was happy cause we had us a wood floor 
cause when me and sis first moved down that way we lived for a while in this 
old cabin and it only had one room and dirt floors. There was only a few houses 
up on that mountain and me and sis had to get up and leave fore sun was up and 
walk to where we was working. I would leave James with Miss Amanda and she was 
good to him. She was this old colored woman that had been a slave fore the war. 
Her and Raymonds momma was sisters but they had them different dads. He say her 
daddy was this African man right off the boat but his daddy was the Masters son 
cause say he had him an eye for colored women. After me and Raymond got 
ourselves married we moved down the road a piece and then sis stayed with the 
kids when I was working. If sis had to work then Raymond get himself up early 
and get Miss Amanda to come and stay with them. After she passed me and sis had 
to care for them ourselves and lord knows it was hard but then Raymond got him 
a better job and so I didn’t have to work all the time so me and sis could keep 
us some chickens and raise us up some hogs and then sell meat and eggs. We put 
out a big garden and what we didn’t need we could sell and what we didn’t sell 
we give to them hogs. I liked it down there but sis never did cause not many 
people so never had many people to be visiting with and sis likes to be round 
other ladies. We had us a nice church but it was a fair piece away and when it 
was raining or the weather was cold we didn’t go. Later when we moved into this 
house with three rooms in it it was like we was living in a palace. I miss me 
those days sometimes cause we was always all together and now we got things 
nicer but most the family seldom round here. Course we always have a houseful 
of company and me and sis love our church so that makes it better.

Sis been sick this week so she been staying here with me so I could be looking 
after her. Amos and Ben say they will look after Miss Carols place while she is 
here. I ask her to move on in with me but she don’t want to. She says my 
children have enough on them and she don’t want to be no burden. I tell her 
that is crazy talk cause she is my only true sister and I love her to death. My 
babies done growed up and its just me. My boys help me but I still make my own 
money. She never be a burden to mine cause they thinks they gots them two 
mommas anyhow. I love her but she has her funny ways at times. Sweet Jesus 
knows that without her there never be a family cause she always been there to 
get us through the bad times. Miss Odell got her a big family and they help her 
cause that is what a family do when they love each other. I know she is feeling 
better cause her and the kids dog been fighting all day. I was ascared that if 
it pulled at her dress one more time that she would smash in his head. I bout 
finished my stitching for Miss Lewis. She had me do her a set of towels and a 
couple pillowcases with her name on them in gold thread. It done took me bout 
two weeks cause sis aint been able to help me much but I think I will be done 
by Wednesday. When a person has some sickness in the house it sets a mind to 
thinking bout how things be. I remember asking Miss Fridley one day why all her 
people stayed up in them mountains when they could live anywhere they wanted. 
She told me that for some people the mountains called to them and it was like 
in their blood. She say you take somebody like my granddaddy out of them 
mountains and it be like pulling a plant out of the garden by the roots. Maybe 
that is why so many folks seem like they are lost cause they never listen to 
their soul bout such things. I know I seen him many a day out on his porch 
looking off at the mountains and he say that they were talking to him and I 
never understood what he was saying but I know now.
  
We had us a piece of beef today. I don’t care much for beef cause it got no 
taste to it but James brought it over so me and sis cooked it up for him. He 
likes him some beef so I don’t mind doing it for him. I was thinking that it 
was tough but James say it was good and that all that matters to me. I give the 
rest of it to the cats after everyone left and they ate it right up. Now I 
would like to have me a milk cow cause I can drink me some milk.
When we was little we would help milk the cows and I like doing it but sis 
always been ascared of cows. I never understand it cause a cow aint nothing. A 
bull is different and I don’t want nothing to do with them. I was out in the 
field picking me some apples over at Miss Fridleys when I was little. I look 
behind me and there is this big old bull looking me in the face. I climb up 
high in the tree and the bull circles the tree and I was screaming but noone 
heared me. After a while Miss Fridley come out looking for me and I see her 
coming through the field with this little stick in her hand. I yell and tell 
her that the bull gone mad and she better watch or he kill her dead. She walk 
right up to the bull and shu him off and tells me to get myself down. I didn’t 
want to climb down but she say that he keep his place that all he was after was 
a few apples. I climb down and run like a rabbit but when I look back she 
walking like it was nothing. I never be able to do that but I think that woman 
was ascared of nothing. I think Mary and Sara are into it again. I never 
understand why they not able to get along better. They always in a fuss over 
some foolness. My boys get in it sometimes but they always settle it fast. Me 
and sis almost never have us any hard words and I wish my girls could be more 
like us cause one day we be gone and they only have each other. I know that 
James like to move himself down south and has talked a time or two bout wanting 
to see Texas but he never leave me and sis. David been off working for years 
and Tom may want to go off and find him better work then he can get him in 
these parts. That leave the two of them by themselves so they need to be 
thinking bout that. We done moved more times than I care to count so hope that 
we be here for a long time but if we did their husbands got them their own jobs 
and family near by so they have to stay. Course that woman of James never mind 
as long as any new place got a big chair for her to be sitting in all day. Me 
and sis had to work since we was little so seem like normal for us but even if 
we never worked that hard I don’t think we could be sitting in a chair all day 
doing nothing. I like to keep busy cause it make the day pass faster. My James 
is like me cause that boy always doing something. His boy Amos just like him 
but then Ben takes after his momma. Jesus knows that I love him but that boy 
don’t got him no head for work. 

  
 I been thinking all day bout my family. David still working in Carolina and my 
James is over in Roanoke and I miss him. Miss Mary done died and it makes me 
sad cause I know her family don’t know nothing bout it. I loved me that woman 
cause she never had a bad bone in her body. She told me awhile back that she 
never talked to her brother in nearly twenty five years. She never say why. 
Miss Jones says she knows but be taking that to her grave cause she make a 
promise never to tell. She had her a man and some kids but her master had done 
sold them off fore the war ended cause he needed money and she never knowed 
where they went off to. Just her and her brother was all that was left after 
she got her freedom. I don’t understand it but sometimes it happens that way. 
My granddaddy Persinger had him lots of family but after the war never talked 
to most of them ever again. I recollect when his brother George give me and sis 
each a pair of shoes cause we didn’t have us none he never asked bout him at 
all. I know that him and Miss Phebe got on good but her man didn’t want no 
colored around so she had to go see him. Wonder what he thought she be. Grandma 
say she made the best green tomato pie she ever put in her mouth but once they 
done moved it was to far for her to come over so they didn’t see her much 
anymore. I want to know more bout why this come to be but don’t no one seem to 
know for sure. Nobody knows nothing bout my Aunt Ann as she was gone fore they 
was old enough to know much of anything and says they never talked bout her. 
Grandma Persinger had her another girl they called Ruth but lord took her for 
she a month old. Sweet Jesus knows I know how it be to lose a child so I 
understand why she never did her much talking bout it. Granddaddy had him a 
sister Mary living out west but I never seen her and Miss Marys death set me to 
thinking bout if she was alive or dead and if she was no one here knowing 
nothing bout it. I aint never beat my children but lord knows that if they 
stopped talking to each other I would beat them near to death. James and Tom 
always fighting but they always settles it. Things enough to worry a body to 
death somedays.

This week seem alful long to me. Guess folks been to busy to be visiting much 
so just me and the cats. I miss Miss Mary and been thinking bout her a lot this 
week. I recollect Miss Mary talking bout how she never knowed her real momma 
cause her and her brother was sold when they was little. I never knowed my real 
momma. My daddy was only bout 16 when him and momma had sis. My momma was a 
mulatto woman from over near Roanoke and cause he was to young to get married 
they just had to visit when they could.  Sis was bout a year old when momma had 
me. She died a day or two after she had me so me and sis was sent to her momma 
but she was to old to take care of two babies and after a while she sent us to 
granddaddy Persingers. We never seen or heared from her or her people again so 
don’t know if she died or what done happened. I think my real mommas name was 
Margaret but Sis says it was Martha. I ask daddy bout her but he say that he 
don’t ever want to talk bout her cause it cause trouble between him and momma 
but I thinks that wound never healed. We lived with granddaddy part of the time 
and then later with daddy after he got married and some with other family we 
had. They were all good to us but sis says that momma always looked at us like 
we were different cause we not her kids and that why they give us to any family 
that take us in. I can understand cause she always had a houseful of her own 
and we were two more hungry mouths to feed. I think that is why sis never been 
close to the other kids in the family cause she say we only partly related and 
they were treated better than us. I don’t say nothing cause she is my sister 
and I love her and things were hard but we also had us some good times. I loved 
it when we stayed with some of granddaddy relations over in Alleghany County. 
We use to visit over at Miss Wolfs cause she had a big house and she would buy 
us candy and she had dolls that she let us play with. I know she loved us and 
when we stayed over we got to sleep in separate beds in a big bedroom. Whenever 
we were hungry we got to go to the kitchen and she would fix us up something 
and always say for us to eat all we wants. When bed time come she always say 
that there was food in the kitchen and that if we got hungry during the night 
we could get us some bread out of the bread pan and eat it. I remember one time 
her and Miss Bowen took us to town and we goes to this store. I was bout six 
and sis was seven and this big white man comes over and says that they know 
that he don’t allow no niggers in his store. First time in my life I was ever 
called that and I almost cried right there. Miss Wolf just looks him in the eye 
and says that we are Peter Persingers children and we going to pick out some 
candy cause we are such good girls. This white woman comes over and says that 
we are just babies and that he better not make us cry. He let us pick it out 
ourselves but when we are leaving he says that next time she need to leave us 
outside if any white folks is in the store. That night I ask baby Jesus to make 
her my momma but fore I was eight we was back at daddys.

James took sis over to visit a couple days with Miss Beverly. Miss Jones been 
staying with me cause she says she seen a shadow moving in Miss Marys room. I 
know its been hard on her with Miss Mary passing and the two of them like 
sisters. Be like sis passing on for me. I told her how my granddaddy always say 
that when a body die the spirit sometimes stays round for a spell but that the 
spirit never harm nobody. Its all a part of how the world be. He say he never 
ascared of dying cause it just the next part of the journey. Course Miss Jones 
don’t have no Indian blood and believes in some of them African ways. She is 
ascared cause she says a ghost can take over the body of a living person. I 
never understand why she be thinking that as sweet as Miss Mary was she would 
take over her body. I don’t know me much bout those African ways but it don’t 
make no good sense to be thinking that way. I recollect grandma talking bout 
this ghost over in Alleghany County. The white folks over there had killed them 
this slave and after he was dead she say people started to see him out in this 
field. She say she never seen it but granddaddys brother was over that way and 
say one evening he seen him standing in the field like he was looking for 
something. When he looks again he was gone but say he knowed what he seen. 
Everybody knowed it was him cause weren’t no black men round them parts. It 
never hurt or bothered noone and lots of folks seen it so I think granddaddy 
was right. The preachers wife says that we is both wrong cause the soul go up 
to heaven when you dies. I believe me in Christian ways but I also believe me 
in some of them old ways.



Lord knows I seen me better days. I wonder some days what the world coming to. 
The church seem alful empty today. Miss Mary gone and all Miss Adas people done 
moved away. Mister Brown done had to move in with his son down in Norfolk cause 
he got some sickness. Miss Odell says that he was a slave down in Carolina fore 
the war. He got marks all over his back from the whip. Him and his brother run 
off fore the war was over and some patterollers shoots him and his brother. 
They shoot his brother dead but Mister Brown played possum and waited till they 
done went on fore he gets up. Sympathizers took him in and doctored him up 
good. Say some abolitionists help him get up north. I never knowed that bout 
him and that be why he always acted like he was mad.  I seen the scars on Miss 
Jones back and I never know how that woman lived through that beating. I thank 
sweet Jesus that none of mine was no slaves.  Miss Odells daddy was a slave but 
she says that he never got beat. Her momma was a free woman cause her daddy 
bought them their freedom. I never knowed that a slave could do that but she 
says its true. After the war was over him and her momma stay on the place and 
hire themselves to the master. Her momma worked in the big house and he cared 
after masters horses. Says they were good to her and always be giving her 
plenty to eat. When master passed they moved to Virginia not to far from 
Fincastle cause they had them some family over that way. They are both dead now 
but she gots her four brothers and two sisters. I think a big family is good 
for a body cause lord knows it aint right being by yourself.

Sis stayed the night with me. She says that two of my cats got up in the bed 
with her but she let them be cause she was to tired to kick them out of the 
bed. Cats likes to sleep where it is warm but sis don’t like her no cats in her 
bed. She got herself up early and fixed us up a big breakfast. That woman loves 
to cook. I like it when she cooks breakfast cause lord knows I hate fooling 
with getting a fire in that cook stove of mine in the mornings. We cooked us up 
two apple pies and give one to Miss Odell cause Miss Frances is staying over at 
her place and give one to Miss Jones. Miss Lewis wants me and sis to come over 
tomorrow and cook for her cause she is going to have her a house full of 
company. She give me a big box of can goods cause she say she got no use for 
them. They nice people but got them funny ways when it come to food cause they 
don’t eat them lots of things, She says that people that works with her man 
always bringing him stuff out of their gardens. They put me in a mind of some 
of Miss Bowens people. We was at her house and she had her a bunch of company 
and she brings out this big plate of meat and someone ask what it is and she 
say old John and some of them say they never eat it cause everyone knowed that 
old John was the name of her horse and she done cooked him up. Me and sis eat 
it up cause it was good and made us no never mind cause good food is good food. 
I never be like Miss Mary and eat me no dog but a horse like a cow and people 
pay no never mind to eating a cow. Now when it come to coffee that woman got 
her the best there is. When we over there I drinks me all I can cause it is 
better than what I have me. Sis says that she has it sent in. If I ask I know 
she would give me a bag but got me better manners than that.

Sis told me that I need to write more bout our people cause all the old ones 
that knowed bout them are passing on. She act like she don’t care bout my 
writing one day and then telling me what to put down the next. My Sara say she 
to bossy but she aint cause that just her way. I recollect a story bout our 
granddaddy and she say I should put it down. Our granddaddy Gabriel Persinger 
was born up there in Ritch Patch Virginia. It is up in the mountains not to far 
off of Botetourt. It aint hard to get to if you been there but can be hard 
going the first time. Miss Sara was by herself in the cabin that her and her 
man had done made. I think they say that it had just one big room. Her man had 
done went off cause he was thinking that there was plenty of time fore the 
child be coming and he knowed that her family was just down the road. Her 
brother done told her to come to his house and stay cause he was worried bout 
her. There come up this bad wind storm and Miss Sara was afeared to go out til 
the storm was over. Sometime after dark the baby started coming and around 
midnight she had done had her the baby and then the second one done started 
coming. Not many people in those days had twins so she was surprised and being 
that it was her first time she was not sure what to do. She had helped with 
babies coming so she knowed some. She had her some problems cause in the 
morning her brother and his wife come to check on her cause she had not come to 
their house. They find Miss Sara out on the floor all covered in blood and the 
children on the bed. Her brother say that he figured that she was going die 
cause she done lost so much blood. He takes the babies cause they were dirty 
and still had blood on them and he goes for help while his wife tended Miss 
Sara. Some women come to the cabin and they try to doctor Miss Sara.  They send 
for this colored lady cause they knowed she could cook up some medicine for her 
and everyone knowed that coloreds and Indians knowed more bout medicines from 
plants than most of them white folks over there. After several days Miss Saras 
fever done broke and she was eating some so they figure she was going to live. 
They bring one of the boys back to see if she has any milk to nurse her babies 
with. She say that she called the first one Gabriel cause while she was sick 
she had a dream bout angels standing by her bed. Her man was an Indian and they 
put great store in dreams and such. Her family says this was a good idea cause 
her not dying was sure a miracle of God. They seen that she was dry and cause 
they had no cow around to get her some milk they meted the boys out. Miss Sara 
had to stay down there with her sister for neigh on a month cause she was still 
weak to be looking after herself. I thank Jesus that I had me folks there when 
I had me my babies cause it was hard. The only one that give me big trouble was 
my David cause he was so large. Tom was my last one and the easiest of the lot. 
It was round 1890 cause we was living down in Carolina next to Miss Mays place 
but sis got the date wrote down in her Bible. I got sis up out of bed and she 
went and got Miss May and her sister and they weren’t in the house more than a 
short time fore he come and had me almost no pains at all. It weren’t but a few 
years after that that Raymond passed so tom was my last Liked to of had me some 
more but liking aint getting so a body have to make do.


Amos killed himself a big goose down by the river and give it to me to cook it 
up. I stuffed it with onions and nuts and sis made us some Yankee pea stew to 
go with it. Miss Frances come over and eat with us and we had us a good time. 
Miss Jones says she gots to be almost ninety. She been living with her son down 
close to Richmond but comes this way bout two times a year. I enjoy it when she 
is here cause she is always telling stories bout growing up and she knows every 
song in the hymn book by memory. She can recite hundreds of verses from the 
Bible and her mind as fresh today as it ever was. Her people was from down in 
the Carolinas. I know she had her a hard life but that woman never do her any 
complaining. I wish more folks round here was like her. She had herself four 
big cups of coffee and I told her that me and her both likes us our coffee more 
than the food. I made Betty a new dress and it is pretty. It is a light green 
and it has little dots all over it. I trimmed it with some lace that James got 
me. I may have enough cloth left to fix a shirt up for Miss Jones cause she 
says she likes the color. God has been good to me cause I always have my family 
and friend with me.

Me and sis cleaned on the house all day. We been working so much we never has 
time to do us any cleaning here. Sis been here with me all week. We have us a 
good time and lord knows I love me that woman. Miss Odell says that when she 
has people over at her place after a while they gets her nervous but it never 
that way with sis. We been together since we was born. My Sara thinks she alful 
bossy at times but I never pay that no mind cause that her way. Course my Sara 
got her better raising than ever say that to her or do her any back talking and 
I know she loves her like she was her momma. James come over and eat with us 
cause he knowed sis done baked us up a cake. The glass in my window is loose 
and the wind comes right through it so he says he is going to fix it up for me. 
Course there been times when me and sis lived in places where weren’t no glass 
for the windows and we had to cover them with blankets in the winter to keep 
out the wind so if it take him awhile to get to it don’t make me no never mind 
cause at least we got glass in it.  Miss Eliza been in her sick been here neigh 
on a week. Me and sis done took her over some food cause that granddaughter of 
her don’t do her much cooking. Miss Odell told me that what she do cook cant 
half eat cause it got so much salt in it that it make a body sick.
	 
I think it was 15 years ago yesterday that Raymond passed but don’t know for 
sure cause so much done happened and we never wrote the date down. I miss him 
somedays cause he was a good man but feel strange cause I never feel bout him 
like a wife should be feeling. He was a kind man and I loved him but just 
different. He always called me his keykuba which is some kind of African talk 
for flower. He learned it from Miss Amandas daddy but he only knowed him a few 
words of it. I know that he loved me and he never tried to rule over me or hit 
me like some of these men be trying to do to their women. He knowed he weren’t 
my first man but seemed to make him no never mind. I pray that he at peace and 
knows that I did love him. I finished my stitching on the dress for Miss Pinn. 
Her boy had me make it up for her and theys going to surprise her with it. It 
is a light gray with white in it and I stitched little designs round the collar 
and cuffs. Miss Frances has done gone back to Richmond. James says that he will 
take me down to visit with her in a few weeks if I want to go. There is to much 
work to do to be thinking bout traveling. I aint had me no word from my David 
in a while and I sure miss him but a man needs to work. Mister Andrews had me 
work two days for him this week. He had some things for me to mend and had me 
do his windows. I don’t mind the work cause it is not hard work at all 
excepting some of those tall windows. It is good for a body to have plenty of 
work.


I took the dresses I sewed up over to Miss Lewis. She ask me to sit and have 
some coffee with her. I like her cause she don’t act like a lot of white folks. 
Me and sis worked for her back when her momma was living and we cooks for her 
when she got company. She keeps asking me to come work for her a couple of days 
a week and I tell her I think bout it. White folks sometimes talks to you likes 
you a child but not her. She tells me that her daddy made her marry up with 
Mister Lewis cause that’s the way he done things. She says she didn’t take to 
him right off cause she was thinking that his ears set wrong on his head and 
his hands to small for a man. She says she started to run off but knowed her 
daddy disown her if she done it. Now she loves him and says he is real good to 
her and makes good money and lets her buy what she wants. Course she says aint 
nobody telling her girls who to marry cause old ways was for old times and got 
no place today. I don’t think thats true but good to know that folks is folks. 
Grandma Persinger always say it don’t matter what color dish you eat from it is 
what is in the plate that is important. I recollect them talking bout 
granddaddy Persingers momma Miss Sara and how her family tried to make her 
marry some white man when she was young cause granddaddy’s daddy was gone most 
of the time and never could get married with her cause he was not white. Say 
she run off in the woods and gone several weeks fore she comes back. That white 
man say she was to wild for him cause he aint never going chase down no woman 
in the woods. After that they never bother her bout getting married. I wish 
somedays that I had had me the courage that she had her.

Linda come over with the boy she seeing. He is well mannered and as polite as 
you please but that boy talk your ear off. I never understood most of what he 
was talking bout cause he uses words I never heared in all my born days. His 
people from up north and he gots him some good learning. He say he will let me 
borry some his books if I want and I tell him please cause I like to read. He 
say he will send them by Linda next week. I never ask her bout her momma and 
she never talked any bout her. I know her momma don’t do her right cause she 
don’t do none of them right but not my place to say nothing bout it. I know it 
troubles my James cause she don’t do her no cooking or cleaning but he never 
complain cause that his way. Somedays I want to go over there and tell her to 
get herself out of bed and clean that house. Me and sis cleaned up one day when 
she was gone and when she come back she like to bite the head off sis bout it. 
She never tell me nothing cause she knowed don’t nobody talk bad to James 
momma. James never put up with it. Miss Jones say she don’t want to talk bad 
bout anyones people but she would knock her down til she be happy to cook and 
keep the house clean. There me and sis had to sew up some shirts for Ben and 
Amos cause she say she ascared that she ruin the cloth if she try to do it and 
lord knows it aint nothing to sewing up a shirt. We do it cause we love Ben and 
Amos and cause it help out James and Jesus know as good as that boy be to me 
and sis we do anything make it easier on him. All I have to say is she better 
be glad she never growed up over there in Botetourt County or Alleghany cause 
those people knowed how to work you right. They was all good to us but lord 
knows we had us some hard work to do. Course in them days everyone had to work 
the garden from the oldest to the youngest. Miss Fridley always say if you can 
walk you can work and if you like to eat you better like to work.
 
My back has been sore all day. I knowed I was doing to much lifting on that 
divanport but I hate asking James to do all my heavy work for me. Amos would do 
it if he was here but he been busy. Sis helped me some but her back worse than 
mine. I been wishing I could see me my David. I wish I had the eye like Miss 
Sara cause then I know if he was doing good. Grandma told us bout the time 
granddaddy went down to the Carolinas to visit his daddys people. She say he 
was gone neigh on nine months and she was thinking that maybe he decide to stay 
with them or that him and his daddy done been killed. She say she heared tell 
of whites shooting Indian folk dead and the law doing nothing bout it. If they 
killed a slave it could be big trouble cause somebody have to pay for him so 
whites might beat one they catch bad but most knowed better than kill them one. 
She goes to Miss Saras place and ask her bout them and she say that she sees 
them both plain and she don’t see her no shadow bout them. A few days later he 
come walking in like he never been gone. Grandma say she always knowed he had 
him wood fever and a man with it got to get out in the woods some or they dies. 
His brothers had it to and Miss Sara always say that aint no use trying to 
change them cause it was born in them. Sometimes you gots to let a dog run free 
or they goes crazy but they always come back. The dog never be thinking bout 
how lonely or worried folks back home be when they off running something it is 
in he blood and they gots to chase it. Maybe that where my David got him his 
ways. Grandma say it aint a womans place to tie a man like that up cause if you 
loves them then you gots to accept that how things going to be. I love me that 
boy and never want to put no chains on him. I know if I told him that I needed 
him back here he come in a hurry but he never be happy.


James stayed the night with me and he never say but I know something troubling 
him. I know he loves his wife but it got to be hard with her never lifting a 
hand to do nothing. James would never leave her cause of the kids so I think he 
come here to get away for a time and cause here he can rest cause I do all the 
cooking and cleaning. I never say nothing to him cause it aint my place but it 
is hard to keep hush at times cause he my baby. Sis had her a place come up on 
her leg the size of a hens egg. She stayed here with me and I doctored it and 
now she is better. My granddaddy told me one time that his daddy always say 
that the world cause sickness but that the world cure it to. He never needed 
him no doctor cause his people knowed all bout such things and how to use 
plants and roots to cure them any sickness. I wish that I had all that wrote 
down cause today most folks don’t know them nothing bout such things. Somedays 
it seem like the world moving so fast that a body never keep up. Most everyday 
they done invented some new thing to take the place of the old and me and sis 
starting to feel lost. The old days were hard but we knowed what to do and how 
to act. Today you hears everyday of men beating their women for nothing and 
their women doing nothing bout it and people being robbed in plain daylight and 
when we was little there never was such things cause people was stronger and 
knowed how to take care of themselves. There granddaddys momma Miss Sara alone 
most of the time with noone to help her and she got on just fine. Aint no man 
ever thought of hurting her cause it be like hitting a wild cat. Miss Wolf was 
this little woman and I seen her move things that a man today never be able to 
lift and in the fields she could work most of the men today to the ground. I 
know Miss Bowen was at her house and this man was visiting them and was in the 
jug at her house one night and he hit her over some foolness and the next day 
say he looked like the horses done run him down cause both his eyes were busted 
and some of his teeth was gone. I don’t think he ever tried that foolness 
again. People didn’t have them all these stores and doctors to be running to so 
you did for yourself or you didn’t have. I know if we stopped working longer 
than it took to wipe away the sweat you was called lazy and doless but folks 
today stops when they have a mind to. Unless you was sick nobody be feeding you 
or looking after you they let you go hungry. I was over at Miss Wrights when I 
was bout seven and she has me grubbing most of the day in the garden and then 
give me all the food I could eat and told me that cause I done worked so hard 
she make me up a pie. Her boy come in and she asked him if he done cut her some 
wood and he say no cause he come in cause he was hungry to death and she say 
when the work is done the food be done to. I say that I go help him and she say 
no cause I done my part and now he doing his part. Now he a grown man and a 
better worker you never find.



I had all the ladies from the church over and we all fixed up something to eat 
and had us a good time. Miss Eliza made up some fried cabbage and onions with a 
little sugar in them and they were good. Miss Cora cooked up a rabbit but I 
didn’t eat me much of it cause it had a bad taste to it. We had us a Bible 
study and those of us that could do some reading took turns reading out of 
Matthew. Each of us was to read three verses and than give someone else a turn. 
Course the preachers wife took to reading like she the only one of us that had 
any learning and read two chapters fore Miss Terry told her to let someone else 
do some reading. She bout near fell out of her chair when she says it but she 
stopped. That woman acts like cause a body is from the south that we don’t got 
us no learning. I been reading since I was little. I like to do me some reading 
out of my Bible but there are lots that I don’t understand bout it. Sis says 
that a body don’t need to understand all the words cause just hearing the words 
is enough. I asked Miss Lewis one day if she understands all them words cause 
she has had her a lot of schooling. She says she knows them but there is parts 
that she has trouble understanding. I thinks to myself that if she don’t 
understand it all I never be able to. Somedays I wish that I had me lots of 
schooling cause I love to learn bout things. I think bout all the things I 
wants to know bout but seem like a body never has the time for what they wants. 
I think bout how I would like to talk different languages. My granddaddy could 
talk him some Indian and my David can talk him some Italian but I never had me 
the chance to learn nothing bout other languages. Miss Lewis say she can talk 
her some Latin but can read it better than she can talk it. She let me look at 
her Latin book and I was thinking that it be like a dream to pick it up and 
start learning it. Miss Beulah got her some good learning and I seen her pick 
up the Bible and read it out loud and never miss a word.  Sis was up most of 
the night sick. She says she knowed it was that rabbit that Miss Cora cooked 
up. I fixed her up some soup and she was in bed most of the day. I hope she is 
better tomorrow so she can go with me to church. 

Me and sis had us a mess of bear meat today. James got it from those folks that 
he been working for. It was good but not as good as grandma Persingers. I don’t 
know how she fixed it but sure was good. I got me a bear claw that my 
granddaddy give me and sis got her one to. She got hers in her memory box but I 
keep mine on a string and wear it some cause granddaddy always say that it 
bring good luck. Granddaddy done killed it fore we was born. Him and grandma 
was living in Alleghany County and him and his brother was out hunting. They 
seen this deer and was tracking it through some thick brush. His brother come 
up on this bear cub and knowed that its momma had to be close by. He calls to 
granddaddy and says they got to get out cause its momma defend her cub if she 
seen them. Him and granddaddy starts to move out of the brush when they see its 
momma. It was a big one and stood up on its back legs and near as tall as they 
was. It comes right for them and they shoot it but she keeps coming. They run 
in different directions cause she not be able to follow them both. She takes 
out after his brother so granddaddy has time to get him off a shot. He was 
ascared cause the bear so close to his brother that the shot could kill his 
brother and not the bear. He shoots and the bear falls. His brother says the 
bear was so close he could feel its breath on his neck. They cut up the bear 
and granddaddy takes the claws and some of the meat and let his brother have 
the hide. They talk bout killing the cub cause they done killed its momma but 
granddaddy says that the cub big enough to make it on its own. Linda come by 
with some books and it made me as happy as a cold cat under a hot stove. I 
started in on one and plan to do me some good reading.


Sis done stayed with me all week. White folks having some party and seems like 
everyone wants a new dress so had more sewing than I ever get done on my own so 
sis stay and helps me. We gets up start sewing and go til late but we finished 
them all in time. Miss Smith had me sew her up one with all these fancy buttons 
on it and lord knows thought I never get finished. Sis says she sleep for a 
week now that we are done. Me I like keeping busy cause it make the day go 
fast. Course me and sis done worked since we could walk. Sis say I must be 
crazy cause I talks to my cats while I works. I tells her that granddaddy say 
that animals can understand you when you talks from your heart. When he killed 
something he always say a prayer and thank the animal for the gift they be 
giving. He had him this old mean dog that everyone ascared of cause he looked 
like a wolf. Grandma say she never wanted to feed him cause he maybe eat her up 
to. Granddaddy would just say a word to him and he act like a baby kitten. He 
even let you rub his belly. She say she seen him talk a squirrel out of the 
trees. I know mine understand me good cause I tell them to stay off my 
davenport and they stay off. I tell my momma cat to get herself in the kitchen 
and she heads right in. Sis say she don’t like her no cats but I know she do 
cause she always sneaking them food. When my big yellow cat died she cried 
herself sick over it.

James says that he is going to paint my kitchen for me next week. Its been 
needing new paint for some time so I be glad to see it done. I like to keep my 
house in neat and clean. We know to many that don’t pay no never mind to such 
things but a house should be clean. Sis was here all day helping me with my 
sewing. Me and her were talking today bout the time we run away. We had to 
leave from over there in Alleghany County and was staying with our daddy. We 
waits till they were busy and we takes off. We were aiming to get back to some 
of granddaddys peoples place but we didn’t know for certain how to get there. 
Sis says that it has to be a little way through the woods and if we go through 
them we can be there for they knowed we was gone. I puts some cake bread in a 
sack and we sets off. We walk all day and after we eats the last of the bread 
sis says we should go back cause it be dark soon. We turn round but don’t know 
which way to go. Fore long its dark and we was cold and hungry and ascared that 
some wild animal or evil spirit was going to eat us. We sleep beside this big 
rock and sis gets her a big stick to use if any animal come around and I get me 
a bunch of pine branches to keep away any evil spirits. We walk all the next 
day with only a few wild berries to eat on. I tell sis that we were going to 
die in them woods and they never going to find our bodies. We stops to rest and 
hears this noise. I was bout ready to cry cause I knowed it was a bear ready to 
eat us up but when I looks back it was our granddaddy. He says that it done 
took him all day to track us down cause we move faster in the woods than him. I 
gives him a big hug. He says that we has to stay the night in the woods cause 
it soon be dark. He builds us a fire and kills some squirrels and we sleeps 
side by side. The next day he takes us to his place and I thinks we was going 
to get a whipping but he never says nothing. Years later grandma says that she 
thinks that he was proud of the way we moved through the woods like wild 
Indians.  

There was the prettyist bird out in my garden today. It was all blue with a 
little red in it. I was ascared that the cats get it but they never payed it no 
mind. James says that I got me more cats than I need but I love me my cats. I 
been thinking bout Miss Lewis momma. Sis was with her when she passed on. She 
says that she started talking real clear and says she was acting like she is 
talking to her sister Emma that been dead for years and her momma and Mammy 
Becca. She tells sis that she sees them all standing round her and that her 
momma says to tell her thank you for taking such good care of her. Sis says 
that she nearly fell over she was so ascared. She runs and gets Miss Lewis but 
when they gets back to her room she done passed on and she got her a smile on 
her face. Sis says she was ascared to say what she seen cause folks be thinking 
she done lost her good sense. If Miss Lewis momma seen those people then it 
mean that whites and coloreds all go to the same heaven. It don’t matter me 
none but there be some mighty unhappy white folks if that is true. I always was 
thinking bout that though cause we has white and Indian and black blood and I 
was thinking bout if there was a separate heaven for people like us. Miss Eliza 
says that they always told her that black folks had to go to a separate heaven 
cause they was marked by god. To me that was just some people talking that 
didn’t have no good sense.

Tom give me a jar of honey and I got to say that it is a weakness for me. I 
like to have me some on my bread at breakfast but then I will eat on it all 
day. When we were growing up we had us some hives and honey was our sugar for 
most of the year. Granddaddy would put it in his tea but I can eat it plain. 
Sis don’t care much for it cause she likes her sugar and vanilla cakes. I don’t 
think that it is a sin to eat like that but it seems that way at times. I aint 
never been ascared of bees. I could walk right up to the hive and never be 
stung but sis got stung if she was anywhere close to them. Granddaddy always 
say that bees can tell if a person is ascared of them and then they sting but 
if you walk right up to them like you not then they leave you alone. I seen 
that man covered with them and walk away like it weren’t nothing. Linda come by 
and we had us a nice visit. I never asked her what was the matter cause if she 
wanted me to know she would tell me. Amos says that there is some foolness 
between her and her momma but he don’t know what it is. I was glad that she 
feels like she can still stop by and visit with me. I need to go over to Mister 
Andrews in the morning. Sis says she is going with me so I can finish early.
 
It seems to me like the years go faster the older a body gets. I look around 
and so many of the ones I knowed when I was little done passed on and my own 
children getting older than I ever thought I would be. It makes it hard when 
you goes to talk bout somebody you knowed and there aint nobody in the house 
that knowed them excepting me and sis. I wonder someday if there will be noone 
even remembering that I was here. Me and Miss Jones bout the only ones ever go 
out to visit Miss Marys grave and once we are gone noone will never go again. 
Noone never go visit my sweet baby Adam but me and when I done passed on he 
will be alone. My David keeps saying he come home soon so that I can meet his 
new woman. I hate it cause with the rest gone most of the time my poor James 
has to come and do it all. Course that boy never do him no complaining bout it 
but I feel bad. I went to put me some money in my jar and when I open it I know 
something is wrong. I get it out and count it and it comes to more than I been 
putting in. Only soul other than me and sis that knows bout it is my James. 
That sweet angel been putting money in my jar for me. Lord Jesus there never 
been a better boy than him put here.


Sure been cold here the last few days. I cooked up one of my chickens and had 
the kids over. Sis cooked up an apple pie and Miss Odell brought over a cake. 
We all had us a good time but James and Tom were in a fuss over some nonsense 
and I tell them to let it go cause Sunday aint for no argueing and such 
foolness. James say he sorry but Tom got to much his granddaddy in him to say 
he is. James played the guitar for us and we all was singing and having a good 
time. I remember the day I bought it for him. I pay almost four dollars for it 
and had to hide it under my bed for neigh on two weeks. Mister Davis give him 
lessons and I pay him with eggs. Now he can play almost any song we wants. My 
boys say they going to patch up my floor for me and lord knows it needs it. Got 
me a bag of cloth that I need to be cutting up this week. Bout finished with my 
sewing for Miss Wright so need to get started on a dress for Miss Eliza. 
Christmas soon be here so I got to finish up my sewing so I be ready. David 
says he will not be able to come home by Christmas cause he wants to spend some 
time with that girls people. I pray that boy aint in no foolness cause he gots 
himself no head with women. Some days it seem like that boy been gone forever. 
I will miss him but sure that I will have me a house full of company.

(December 26 1909) The kids came over for Christmas and they give me a new 
clock and the grandkids done went in and got me a new coffee pot. They had done 
give me part of my Christmas cause they patched the floor in the back room for 
me. Tom says that my house looking like a palace which makes me the queen. Sis 
give me a box to put my Bible in and it is the prettyist thing with gold 
colored ribbon on the sides and a cross on the front with white doves. I give 
her a new hat with a hatpin that is in the shape of a beetle. I give each of my 
boys a new shirt that I done sewed up and the girls got each a skirt that I 
sewed up from that blue cloth that I got from Richmond. I give the grandbabies 
a bag with candy in them excepting Nancy cause she to little so I give her a 
pillow that I stitched up with her name on it. I was thinking that my legs give 
out fore the day done but lord knows I enjoyed myself. I been thinking bout 
asking James to take me down to visit Raymond’s grave. I feel bad cause it been 
years since I visited and all he got is this little marker on it with his name. 
It would take a good day or two but I know I could get Linda or Miss Odell to 
stay and look after the place for me. I owe him a visit cause he was a good man 
and good to me and sis and deserves more than being left on that mountain 
without as much as a visit one from his family. I can understand bout Tom cause 
he was to little when he passed to remember but the others should be more 
respectful. I wonder some days if James ever think bout his real daddy. He aint 
never asked me nothing bout him and I have wanted to tell him over the years 
but then maybe a body better if they never knowed some things. I want to keep 
some things stored away forever but if he ever asked me I would tell him cause 
as good as that boy been to me and sis I would owe him the truth.


(December 31 1909) I really feel my years these days. When I was young I done 
run round half the time with no shoes on my body and could be snow on the 
ground cause I never pay it no mind. Now a little wind and I want to put a 
quilt round me. Today I feel in worse shape than this old house. It is hard to 
believe that tomorrow it will be 1910. I don’t know my exact age but I know I 
got to be getting old. They use to tell me that I was born round 1858 in 
Botetourt but sis says it was 59. Guess it don’t matter much but sure like to 
know. Linda come by and give me a pair of wool gloves. She says she is sorry 
she weren’t here for Christmas but needs her time away from her momma to think 
things out. I told her I understand but that be a lie but I say it anyhow. Sis 
say she seen Miss Terry in town yesterday. She says that Indian man that was 
living over there at her place done up and left her without so much as a word. 
He be saying how he was going to take her out west and how happy she be round 
his people and now she is still here and he done left. She went to bed one 
night and when she got herself up his clothes was gone. I guess it that way 
sometimes with Indians cause I recollect how grandma Persinger use to talk bout 
granddaddy’s father. He was a Cherokee Indian but not like those you sees today 
cause he was what folks called a wild Indian. She says he made his own clothes 
out of skins and had no part Christian in him and was more at home in the woods 
then in a house with four walls. Say he called a house a whitemans cage. Say he 
was like a shadow cause he be there one minute and then fore you knowed it he 
was gone. Course he must been round a good bit cause him and Miss Sara done had 
them a pack of kids. Folks say he was a tall man with dark hair longer than any 
womans they ever seen. Whites were ascared of him cause he looked so wild. 
Granddaddy took after him in a lot ways. He was always taking off and be gone 
for days at a time fore he come back with whatever he done killed in the woods. 
Grandma say she never worried that he got another woman out in those woods 
cause no other woman ever put up with his ways more than a day. Course I know 
that she loved him more than anybody. I remember how sad he looked when he got 
old and had to keep close to the house cause he could no longer do what he done 
when he was young. I wonder somedays if he ever thought that it might have been 
better had he let them white soldiers take him out west with all those Indians.


I seen Miss Adas sister yesterday. She says her boy still over in Covington. I 
don’t think he ever come back here cause if he do someone likely to lynch him. 
We had a new lady come to church. She is from Tennessee. She is as light 
skinned mulatto girl with the prettyist eyes I ever seen. I seen white folks 
darker than her many times. Miss Odell says that her brother is as dark as tar 
but he gots him green eyes. Sometimes it is that way with mulattos. Granddaddy 
was dark but then some his brothers looked white. Me and sis don’t look like 
cause she got dark skin and I look Indian course she aint nothing but skin and 
bones and I always been big. Miss Jones had her some kids by a white man and 
one was real dark but then one looked almost white. Their daddy was the 
overseer on the plantation and says when he first come to her cabin she hated 
him but after a while she started to care bout him cause he was good to her. 
She says the Master found out bout them when he seen how light her son was and 
so he throwed him off his place and sold her babies. I cant hardly believe that 
she ever loved her a white man after all the way she was treated by whites. 
Miss Odells says that Mister Brown told her that he never hated him all whites 
cause when he done runaway whites doctored him and helped him. I have knowed 
some good whites and some bad whites but I know some black folks that I don’t 
care for cause of the way they act.  God has been good to me cause none of mine 
been taken from me excepting my Adam.



We had us a new family in church today. This is the second family that come to 
church this month so god is blessing us. They are from the Carolinas and are 
some kin to Miss Eva. They got them eight kids and they were running wild all 
through the preaching. One thing for sure mine knowed better that ever do such 
racketing cause they knowed if they did when they got themselves home their 
daddy not be pleased. Lord knows I miss the days when I had me a crowd with me 
at church. I know I be there for god but it gets a body lonely when you sees a 
whole big family there. Me and Miss Jones sits together up close cause we sings 
with the choir. Miss Odell is upset with the preachers wife cause she is 
picking out the songs she likes and not asking what we wants to sing. It don’t 
bother me none cause I sing round the house and can sing what I want at home. 
Baby Nancy done took a fever so I tell them to keep her at home today. Me and 
the cats not lonely cause I think they are happy not having to be running all 
day long from that dog of theirs. I got to get me up early tomorrow cause I got 
me a dress to finish for Miss Johnsons girl. Lord know she got more money than 
good sense cause here it is still cold and she be wanting a new spring dress 
course I just sew then up and as long as I get my money aint my concern. I had 
me one of my best hens up and die on me. Amos went out and checked the pen and 
say he could find no sign of something bothering at her so guess it was her 
time. I wish I had a place to run me a few hogs but lord knows when I would 
find me the time to look after them. I like having me fresh pork to eat and me 
and sis use to make the best sausage from our hogs. People would be coming from 
all over to buy it cause everybody knowed that we made it good.

I made up a new dress for my Nancy and it makes her look like a doll baby. It 
is yellow with white stripes. I had enough cloth left over to sew me up some 
pillows. The preachers wife wants me to sew her up a couple of dresses and some 
shirts for him. I got to say that woman has got her a good eye for cloth cause 
got her some blue that is the prettyist I ever seen. I know that it cost her 
plenty to get it course she got her some money. Miss Jane says that her daddy 
sends her money every month. I need some more thread fore I start so James says 
he can pick me up some. My big old gray cat done got a hurt paw so I got to 
look after it. Sis says I should have been a nurse cause I got me a way with 
sick things. I done ask sis to move back in with me and she says she be 
thinking bout it cause that old house of hers hard to keep warm. She was only 
suppose to be there a year cause Miss Carol pay her to look after the place 
while she taking care of her momma over in Botetourt County but it done been a 
couple of years now and she still living there looking after the place. I be 
hoping she moves back cause with James working away I get lonely some nights. 
Course she keeps reminding me that the first place we lived in Carolina was 
always cold cause the wind come right through it. Many a night we would sleep 
by the cook stove and take turns getting up to put more wood in it. Miss Amanda 
come over and showed us how to mix up mud with some straw and then put in it 
the cracks in the wall and let it dry. It worked as good as new boards. I thank 
Jesus that we have it better now.




Sis done moved back in with me and I sure am happy bout it. I hate being by 
myself once it gets dark. James been trying to stay a night or two a week with 
me but I knows he gots himself his own to be looking after. I know that he is 
as happy as me that she is here. Miss Carol says that she can get some of her 
people to come and look after the place. We fixed the door to her room so it 
closes cause sis say she don’t want no cats getting in her bed at night. I like 
them sleeping with me cause they are warm and they are cleaner than most folks 
round here. When we was little me and sis had to sleep together most of the 
time and lord knows how that woman ever sleeps cause she flops round in the bed 
all night. She says she don’t snore but sweet Jesus knows I can hear her 
through the whole house at night but I don’t pay it no mind. My boys done come 
over and changed out my old cook stove for the one Miss Carol give us and glad 
to have it cause hers better than mine. She gets up early so it is nice to get 
up to a warm kitchen. I thank Jesus that I have her with me again. I wanted to 
do something nice for Miss Carol cause I know how it is to be taking care of a 
sick person all the time but she had to go fore I got me a chance to do it.

It seems like the old days with sis living here with me. Course she was here 
most of the time anyhow but it just is nice knowing that she never has to 
leave. Lords knows I rest me better when I have a body in the house with me. My 
granddaddy told me that there was an Indian curse that go may you die alone and 
friendless with noone to cry at your passing. A body needs to have them family 
round them all the time cause it makes you feel safe and loved. Amos brought 
that dog of his over to the house and him and my new cat got into a fight and 
this time the cat won. He got him right on the nose and run under my divanport. 
I wanted to laugh but didn’t cause I knowed better. Course they never minded 
when he put my cats under it. Maybe they leave the hateful thing at home now 
but if come a problem I can put the cats out while they are here. Sis cooked up 
some rice and onions and Amos eat two helpings. That woman can do her some 
cooking and I know she is happy that she is here with me again.

My boys want to know if I want them to help get the garden ready for planting. 
I guess I will put out a few rows of something cause come summer be glad I did. 
Last year had me more than 20 pounds of fall beans that I done dried and been 
eating on. My Mary say she don’t understand why a body don’t want to buy their 
goods from the store but I don’t pay her no mind cause she knowed better than 
say it. Her and Sara had them some words over some foolness but James say it is 
fine now. They know I don’t like no trouble in the family cause we is all we 
got. I ask them if they wants to be like poor Miss Mary dying alone over there 
at Mister Davis with no family there to help her pass over. My granddaddy use 
to sing a passing song when someone died but I never learned it. He always say 
that a soul needed for their family to be there when they is put in the ground 
to sing so they can pass over in peace. Least Miss Mary had me and Miss Jones 
there for her at her grave. I pray her soul done passed over and she is happy. 
Sweet Jesus knows I loved that woman.

I got me a letter from my David and things must be good cause he sends me money 
everytime he writes. He keeps saying he is going to come visit me but gots to 
work all the time. I ask sis if she wants to visit some of our family this 
summer cause been years since we seen some of them. She says no cause they 
never acted like we their real sisters. Says one day after we come back to 
daddys that they tell her that our real momma was a slave and means we were 
slaves to and that why momma not want us around. I told her that was a lie 
cause granddaddy say she was a free woman. He say she and her sister hired 
themselves out to a white family in Botetourt but they never was slaves.  I 
reminded her that granddaddy was raised by different folks cause the law took 
him from his momma Sara and he say he had him two mommas and two families and 
that we are just like him. She says it don’t matter cause her family is here 
and no need to look for what you already has. James say he would take me if I 
want to go but I don’t want no hard feeling with sis so I told him I don’t want 
to go. Aint no use talking bout it cause sis stubborn when she has a mind to 
be. She always been like that and Miss Bowen always say that a person never 
change their nature. I know she is a stronger person than me and I know I never 
made it this far without her. When I went to Carolina folks were saying that I 
was crazy cause a woman never be safe going without no man but I knowed sis 
never let noone bother me. I seen a hawk in my front tree today so that mean 
good luck on the way. Lord knows we need us some.

Miss Odell come over and told me that Miss Frances passed bout a week ago.  I 
was sorry to hear that but I know that she is in heaven now. It seems like all 
the old ones passing over Jordan and it makes me sad. All the stories that they 
knowed going to be lost with nobody ever knowing bout them. There poor Miss 
Jones barely able to get round anymore cause of her leg and even Miss Odell 
feeling her years. The church is full of new faces and I think bout that they 
never knowed Miss Mary and some of the others. They will never know that it was 
Mister Brown that give the church the new doors or that Miss Carlas family give 
the land for the church to be built on. Miss Grace give the church the 
preachers chair and helped get the church started but not many there now ever 
knowed her. Nobody ever remember that it was granddaddys brother that give me 
and sis our first pair of real shoes or bout how good Miss Fridley and Miss 
Bowen was to us. I wish I knowed bout my real momma. I don’t even know where 
she is buried. I think bout her grave there and nobody coming to see her all 
these years and hope she knows that even though I never knowed her that I love 
her and one day I will see her in heaven. I hope she be looking after my baby 
Adam. I never understand why he had to up and die. I need to get myself over 
there and visit his grave and wish I could visit me the grave of my momma. It 
don’t do a body good fretting much on it cause things is the way they is and a 
body has to accept it all as a part of life.

 Miss Wilson done sent over a box of clothes for the church and me and sis been 
cleaning and mending them up cause we has some families that can sure use them. 
Seth says that some of the boys have shoes all full of holes and he knows that 
some only has them one change of shirts. I use not to like Miss Wilson but I 
like her just fine now cause at least she try her best to help. Miss Terry come 
back to church. Sis says she was ashamed cause the way that Indian man done her 
but lord knows it weren’t her fault. Some men are just like that and aint no 
call to be blaming women cause of the way a man does things. She is an alful 
prideful woman at times but then sometimes she gots a right to be. Some men 
round here wants to be blaming white folks for most everything and what they 
don’t put on them they put on the women. My James got back from Roanoke and 
brought me some more paper for writing in. Good thing to cause I bout filled up 
what I got. He gots to go back the first of April cause his new job starts 
then. He knows I don’t like it when he is gone but aint no work for him around 
here. He says that he can rest peaceful at night now that his momma two is 
living here with me. Tom says that he may go with him. Lord knows I will miss 
them but James says that the job will be finished in a couple of months. Miss 
Jones wants me to sew her up a new church dress and I be happy to do it for 
her. I been thinking bout doing her a white one with blue designs round the 
collar cause it will make her look like an angel.

I done me a lot of crying and thinking bout things the past few days. Sis ask 
me what was wrong and I never say nothing and she tells me that I might as go 
on and tell her cause I always tells her in the end anyhow. She is right cause 
I tells her what I never say to nobody else. I got me a long letter from my 
David and he is getting married. I was so happy bout it that I was yelling and 
I fell over the divanport and nearly busted my arm. Then he says that she is 
white and she thinks that he is Italian. James had done told me that he was 
telling people that he was Italian cause he been working around them Italians 
so much that he could talk him some of the language and being light colored 
that was enough to fool white people. That don’t bother me none cause sis says 
that grandma Persinger was part Italian so he has some Italian blood in him 
from her. I never was thinking that he would be wanting to marry him white. I 
don’t mind me him passing as Italian cause some of my people done passed as 
white and sweet Jesus knows that they is white people darker than him. He could 
even marry him a white woman course they never be able to live round here cause 
everyone knows he is mixed. It upsets me cause if she is thinking that he is 
Italian he never be able to bring her here to see me and I never see me any my 
grandbabies from him. He says that life is easier if you aint colored cause 
people treats you different. He says some people don’t like them no Italians 
but they don’t treat you like they would if you was black. He says her father 
is from over there in Europe and her momma is part Italian and is darker than 
him. Her family says that he gots to become a Catholic so he is going to do it. 
After they is married they is going to move up north cause her father owns him 
a business and he can work for him. He says that he loves me and will keep 
writing but that he loves her and wants him a better life. Sis says that I got 
to accept that he never be able to come back here. If I love him that I got to 
let him go his own way and we all knows that life is not as hard on white 
folks. Lord sweet Jesus it hurts me so bad. I want to pull the covers up over 
my head and die. Sweet Jesus help me. I never be able to carry me this load. 
You take my Adam from me and now you take my David from me. I want to know me 
why.

I done had me time to think and done talked with my James bout it all. My David 
been lost to me for years. James says that David always told him that he could 
never live as a black man cause he weren’t black. He wants him a better life 
and if he needs to be away from here to get it then I should be happy for him 
and let him go. I know that god is not punishing me. I know that he loves me 
and I was wrong to be mad at him. When he give me back my James I say I never 
ask for nothing else. He always be my boy but if this will give him the life my 
baby wants then I can accept it. Sis says not much be different cause he been 
gone and only word from him was a letter when he take the time to write. He 
says that he will still write to me and that I always be his momma. I pray that 
sweet Jesus understand that I was hurt when I say all those things. I love me 
all my babies and the lord has been good to me and mine. I can allow that he 
needs this for him and I will try and be happy for him. It is not going to be 
easy but then life is not easy even for most white folks.

Mister Andrews says that he wants me to start working for him three days a week 
doing the cleaning but also doing them some cooking. I was thinking bout 
telling him no but we can always use the money. I wrote my David and I told him 
that I love him and that all I want is for him to be happy. He has some Italian 
blood so if he wants to be Italian and white that is fine with me cause he 
always be my boy. Sis says that he is lucky cause he is light enough to be 
white and dark enough to be black so god done give him the power to say what he 
wants to be. I told Miss Jones bout it and she says that she hopes her baby is 
passing to cause she wants him to do good. At least my David writes me and I 
know bout him and there Miss Jones aint seen her babies in over fifty years. I 
have to be honest with myself cause it may be that his momma is jealous cause 
he has the woman he loves. Sis knows but I never say nothing to nobody else. I 
loved me a white man and I still think bout him somedays. His name was Bernard 
and he was my cousin. We knowed each other since we was babies. He was a 
handsome man with eyes like an angel and sweet Jesus knows that a kinder man 
aint been born. He lived over in Alleghany County so he had to travel a fair 
piece to see me. We talked bout getting ourselves married and building us a 
cabin and having us a houseful of children but his daddy and my granddaddy made 
us keep away cause they told us that we have nothing but trouble. I was 
thinking that one night he would come and we would run us away but he never 
come back. I never told him that my sweet Adam was his. I was praying that my 
Adam be so light that everybody know that he was his and that they let us get 
married but when Adam was dark I just let it go. I loved me my husband and he 
was a good man but part of me always wanted to be with him. Maybe my David 
never be thinking bout what he wanted but never could have him. So many nights 
I wished that I was a stronger woman than what I was cause then I would have 
marched myself right over there and told him that it was his baby and we were 
getting ourselves married wether the family liked it or not. To late now to be 
thinking on such things but makes a body wonder. Course I never understand why 
he never got himself up and come after me. I know he loved me but maybe he was 
to weak inside to go against his daddy.
 
I been trying to talk to my Sara but seem like that girl never want to listen 
to her momma. Somedays seem like everything I say be wrong. Miss Odell says 
that the way it is with some but I never understand. Maybe I have trouble cause 
me and sis never had us no momma to talk to bout what we was thinking or 
feeling so I don’t know how I should be acting or saying to her. She never back 
talks me but she looks at me like I was this crazy old woman that don’t know 
nothing bout nothing. I want her to be happy and I know she wants her a good 
life but it seems that some trash can tell her something and it like it the 
word of god and me the devil. I was talking to her bout her work and how they 
be treating her better than most gets treated and she ups and walks out of my 
house with no word at all. It like to tear out my heart. I never say nothing to 
James bout it cause I know he have words with her bout it and I don’t want me 
no trouble with my children. I cut my arm off fore I ever say something that 
hurt that girl but don’t matter none cause she never believe me. Miss Odell 
says that she will grow herself out of it but I don’t know. They pays her good 
and the work aint hard but she says they yell all the time. She can sit herself 
down when she be tired and they feeds her good but that don’t matter to her. I 
never want her to have to be working for somebody like Mister Green cause then 
she know what hard work and yelling be like. Like grandma always say it is to 
late to set an egg after you cracks it. Sis say she will talk with her and seem 
like she listens sometimes to her. I love me that girl and I know she loves me 
just be that I don’t know if she respects me. Maybe she thinks I love my boys 
more than her and Mary and lord knows that aint true. Me and James is closer 
than the rest but that because he always doing for his momma and after Adam is 
the oldest. After Raymond passed James had to be the man of the house and I 
know he had it hard so I try and make up for that but I love all my children. I 
think somedays that maybe me and sis done held him back all these years cause 
he always got to be thinking bout looking after us.


I cooked us up some cabbage with pork and sis made up some bread and my Amos 
come over and eat with us. That boy is such a joy to have round and he is 
always making us laugh bout some foolness he done been in. Mister Andrews give 
him a job over at his work and he likes it. He is a good worker and do as he is 
told. I wish he could get him some schooling but he wants to work and least he 
aint like some of this bunch round here that is to lazy to get themselves out 
of the bed. Jesus sure done blessed me good. Miss Odell been sick so me and sis 
fixed her up some food and took it over. I finished me my new dress. It is 
black with white trim and big white buttons. It is a sin to think bout clothes 
when you goes to church but I thinks it is a sin if a person don’t put on the 
best they has. Miss Jones don’t have her much but always wears her nice clothes 
to church. Sis says she knows that Miss Jones is failing and it tears at my 
soul to think bout it. Sis has her an eye for such things. I thank Jesus 
everyday that I have her with me. A body rests peaceful when they have someone 
in the house with them.

I been working three days over at Mister Andrews and then two days for Miss 
Lewis. The work aint been hard cause they both keeps a clean house. I do the 
cooking fore I leaves and that Mister Lewis loves him my apple dumplins. Miss 
Lewis can do some cooking but says she hates to work in the kitchen. Sis cleans 
and cooks for Miss Wilson on Mondays and Fridays so there has been some good 
money coming in this house. James and Tom come over and fixed the steps for me 
cause one was falling apart. I hope those boys know that they are my joy. James 
told me that Linda and her momma is talking again and that pleases me.  A body 
has got to do them some thinking bout the good things they have and not be 
thinking only bout their troubles. Me and sis have seen our share of hard times 
and when we were little things were not easy but we have it better then most. I 
love my family and that is enough for me. Miss Beulah come over and we had us a 
nice visit. She bout talked our ears off with stories bout her family. She was 
born over in Botetourt County just like me but she was born round 1824 so she a 
lot older than me. She is a good Christian lady and can read and write good 
cause her family learned her when she was little. She did her a lot of 
traveling in her day cause she was the playmate of some white girl and wherever 
they sent her she had to go along. I think that means she was a slave but she 
says she was never treated like a slave. She got to go up north and down to 
Florida and Georgia. She says that sometime round1851 they were living in 
Maryland and her misses told her that she could come and go as she liked and so 
she married up with this free man from up that way but she stayed close to her 
misses til after the war. Then they come back to Virginia to look for her momma 
and her daddy but say she never found where they got off to. They went back to 
Maryland for a few years but say when they go back they find that her misses 
done gone over to Europe. She had her two boys and one lives down in Richmond 
and the other is up in Maryland. She must have her some money cause she has a 
nice house and aint noone but her living in it. Miss Odell says that her misses 
give her plenty of money when she set her free and give her and her man a big 
house up that way and that where her money come from. It aint no concern of 
mine cause she is a good woman and always give whenever the church needs some 
money.

Something got hold of my white cat and I been ascared that he would up and die 
on me but seem like he is feeling better today. Me and sis been doing lot of 
talking last few days. It is a joy having her with me all the time now. I 
recollect being over at different peoples houses when we was little and them 
telling us that if someone come over that we never seen then we were never to 
tell them that we all was blood relations. We were to little to understand and 
now the same thing happening in my own family again. I never care bout what 
color my grandbabies be I never say that they aint mine. If some folks have a 
problem with that it be their problem and not mine. All this talk bout color is 
stupid talk anyhow. My David will always be my boy and don’t bother me none 
what color he wants to be. I never want my grandbabies to have to go through 
what me and sis done gone through. I never want them to try and hide who they 
are or pray that sweet Jesus make them different. Lord knows me and sis seen us 
some hard times but aint nothing ever stopped us from being family. I may never 
get to see me any grandbabies from him but I will still love them and they will 
be part of my family. James asked me and sis if we wanted him to fix up the 
rest of the front porch. It needs some new boards so say he will do it for us 
when he gets the time.

James took me over to my Adams grave and it like to kill me. The Bible says 
that his soul went to heaven but I feel so bad with him buried way over there. 
I never understand why the lord took him but maybe someday I will so just have 
to set my mind straight til that day come. He took me up to Ritch Patch to 
visit the graves of some of my people and we come to this house that I use to 
visit in when we was little and it was all to pieces. I don’t recollect who it 
belonged to but Miss Fridley would take us over to visit. I remembered it being 
so big but when me and James walked in it was just this small little cabin. I 
guess when a body is little everything seem so big. Part of me was wanting to 
run into Bernard but I don’t even know if he still over that way but I never 
visited with any of the people cause it was getting dark and James wanted to 
get back in Botetourt fore it was dark. We put us up a small tent and I cooked 
us up some food over an open fire and I told James that for the first time in 
ages I was at peace in my soul. It was dark and we were in the middle of the 
woods but it was like granddaddy always say the trees and them mountains were 
trying to talk to me. I cant believe that when me and sis runaway that time 
that I was ascared to be in those woods cause nothing there ever going to hurt 
me. We bedded ourselves down and this breeze come up and I was thinking that it 
was like the hand of my sweet Adam and all mine that done passed in them 
mountains was round me. I started to cry and James was thinking that something 
wrong but I tell him that aint nothing ever going to be wrong ever again and he 
looks at me like I got the madness. I tell him that I aint ascared no more bout 
dying and that after all these years of going to church I know that god is 
real. Maybe he aint exactly like what they be telling us bout in church but I 
know there be a god cause he was there with me. Maybe granddaddy was right that 
all peoples got themselves a little piece of god in them. The whites have them 
one part and the blacks have them a part and the Indians have them a part and 
cause we is mixed we have parts of all of them in us and that makes us 
stronger. I come home and for the first time in ages I could look myself in the 
mirror and I liked the woman looking back at me cause I didn’t hate the way she 
looks. That aint exactly the truth cause I think I look alful old but least it 
gots nothing to do with my color.

Miss Beulah and Miss Odell come over and me and sis cooked us up one of the 
best meals in ages. Sis cooked up and pork and potato pie and that was the best 
thing. After we eat we set round and talked and Miss Beulah smoked her pipe. 
When we was growing up lots of the women smoked them pipes but not many do it 
anymore and those that do are only the older ones. Miss Odell is such a funny 
woman when she wants to be and her and Miss Beulah took turns telling us 
stories bout all the things they been in over the years. Miss Beulah done had 
her an interesting life and done been able to see so many things that me and 
sis never seen. She was telling bout being down in Louisiana with her misses 
and say me and sis would have loved it there cause the part they was in say the 
white men and black men both loved them their mulatto woman. Sis laughs but I 
know she feel a little out of sorts cause sis always been shy round any men 
other than blood family. Amos and James were by and we fed them up good. I look 
at those two and see how they get along and it makes me proud. Course Ben never 
come with him but he is like his momma so don’t worry me none. When I see how 
James and Amos get along it makes me wonder bout my daddy. Sis says she thinks 
he was born in 1841 but I never certain cause a body got so much to be 
remembering. I wish that we got on like James and Amos but some things not to 
be. I think he loved me and sis but he had him a different way bout him. I 
sometimes think that he seen to much of momma in us and that pain to much for 
him to bare. It would have been nice to been able to sit and talk with him bout 
things but never seemed like we could. If I tried he always get himself up and 
start fooling with something. If he went outside I would ask to go with him but 
he always say stay in the house. Course we were never there more than a few 
weeks fore we were sent off to stay with somebody else. Lord knows me and sis 
have had us a good life so no cause to be complaining it just that a body 
wonders bout things.





Additional Comments:
     This journal was kept by Mary Margaret Persinger 1858-1919? a daughter of 
Peter Persinger from Botetourt County, Virginia, granddaughter of Gabriel and 
Rebecca Persinger and a great granddaughter of Sarah Persinger.

 This journal was found in an old trunk in 1982 by my aunt and given to me. A 
number of loose pages along with a second journal, which covers part of 1910-
1912, disappeared after her death and it is hoped that if found the owner will 
allow these to be added to this record. Most entries had no date attached to 
them and many were loose so I know some mistakes were made in trying to put 
them in order. There were almost two hundred pages of hand written entries and 
some mistakes may have been made during the typing . There is a great deal of 
Persinger family history going back as far as 1816 included among the accounts 
of day-to-day activities. If anyone has information on any of the individuals 
listed here please feel free to share it with me. As a result of transcribing 
the entries into MS Word the program automatically corrected many spelling and 
grammatical errors, but many were deliberately left by me as written. In cases 
where words were illegible, a best guess was made. 
     I give permission for the posting of all or parts of the journal to the 
Internet to any site for genealogical research purposes, however use of this 
for profit is prohibited without written permission from Susan Persinger Jones 
or Mary Jones. persingers@yahoo.com 


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