Bill McRay
State: Texas Interviewee: Mcray, Bill
BILL McRAY was born in Milas, fifteen miles north of Sam Augustine,
Texas, in 1851. He is a brother of C.B. McRay. Col. McRay was
his owner(the name may have been spelled McCray, Bill says). Bill
now lives in Jasper, Texas. He is said to be an expert cook, having
cooked for hotels, boats and military camps 40 years.
State: Texas Interviewee: Mcray, Bill
"I was born in Milam in 1851 and dat makes me 86 year ole.
My mother and father was slaves and dey brung me to Jasper in
1854. Colonel McRay, he was our marster and die' our cons. He
nave 40 head of niggers, but he never hit one of 'em a lick in
his life. He own a big farm and have a foreman named Bill Cummins.
I stay with de Colonel till after I's free.
State: Texas Interviewee: Mcray, Bill
"Us have good marster, but some of de neighbors treat dere
slaves rough. Ole Dr. Neyland of Jasper, he have 75 or 80 slaves
and he was rich and hard on de slaves. One day two run away, Tom
and Ike, and Dr. Noyland takes de bloodhoun's and ketch dose two
niggers and brung 'em in. One of de niggers takes a club and knock
one of de houn's in de head and kilt him. Day cook dat dog and
make dem niggers eat part of him. Don day give both of 'em a beatin'.
State: Texas Interviewee: Mcray, Bill
"De ole log jail in Jasper. It useter stan' whar de Fish
Store is now. Dey have a place t'other side de jail whar dey whip
niggers. De whippin' pos' was a big log. Dey make de niggers lie
down on it and strap 'em to it. I was a lil' boy den and me and
two white boys. Coley McRay and Henry Munn, we useter slip 'round
and watch 'em. Coley and Henry both grow up and go to war but
neither one come back.
State: Texas Interviewee: Mcray, Bill
"Sam Swan, he was sheriff, and he ketch two runaway niggers
one day. Dey was brudders and dey was name Rufe and John Grant.
Well, he takes 'em and puts dem in jail and some of de men gits
'em out end takes 'em down to do whippin' pos' and den strap 'em
down and give 'em one terrible lashin' and den throw salt in dere
wounds and you could near dem niggers holler for a mile. Den dey
took 'em back to de farm to wo'k.
State: Texas Interviewee: Mcray, Bill
"Dey hanged good many niggers 'round Jasper. In slavery times
dey hangs a nigger name Jim Henderson, at Maynow Pond. Us boys
wen' dere and mark de tree. Two cullud men, Tom Jefferson and
Sam Powell, dey kill anudder nigger and dey hang dem to do ole
white oak tree what is south of Jasper Court House.
State: Texas Interviewee: Mcray, Bill
"After I's free I cooks for Cap'n Kelly in his mil'tary camps
for 21 year. Don I cook for boats what run up and down de Neches
and Angelin? rivers. I wants to say, too. dat I wo'ks for every
sheriffin Jasper County 'ceptin' de las' one. Guess I's too young
to wo'k for him!
State: Texas Interviewee: Mcray, Bill
C. B. Mc RAY was born in Jasper, Texas, in 1861, a slave to-John
H. McRay, a slave trader. C. B. is rather unapproachable, and
has a secretive manner, as though he believes the human race will
bear a little watching. He told of only one wife, but his present
wife explained. confidentidly, that he has had six. He lives in
Jasper.
State: Texas Interviewee: Mcray, Bill
"My name is C. B. McRay, better knowed as 'Co'nstalk, 'cause
I's long and thin. Also knowed as 'Racer, 'cause I useter be fleet
on the feet, When I's ten year ole I often caught a rabbit what
jump 'fore me. jus' by runnin' him down. Don' see why my boys
can't do the same.
State: Texas Interviewee: Mcray, Bill
"I's bo'n in Jasper, on Main street, right where Lanier's
Store Stan's, on the 12th of April, in 1861. My father's name
was Calvin Bell McRay. de same as mine, and mother's name was
Harriet McRay. Father was bo'n in Virginny and mother in Sabine
County. in Texas. My brudders' names was Bill McRay and Robert
and Duckin Decus. Father and mother was slaves right here in Jasper.
and so was my gran'parents, who was bo'n in Africy.
State: Texas Interviewee: Mcray, Bill
"John McRay was us marster. He was call a 'nigger trader',
and was sich a easy marster dat other people call he slaves, 'McRay's
free niggers'. He make trips to New Orleans to buy slaves and
brung dem back and sol' 'em to do farmers. Missus was de bestes'
white women to cullud folks dat ever live.
State: Texas Interviewee: Mcray, Bill
"I's too lil' to wo'k much but I 'member lotsa things. Un
have a big dinin'-room with a big. long table for de cullud folks
and us git jus' the same kin' of food dat the white folks have
on dere table. Iffen a nigger sass marster and he couldn' control
him, he was de fus' one to be sol' and git rid of. He sol' my
uncle dat way. But marster was good to us when we done right.
State: Texas Interviewee: Mcray, Bill
"The nigger women spinned and weaved cloth. I 'spec' dat's
the onlies' place in Jasper whar you could go any time of day
and see a parlor full of nigger women, sittin' up dere fat as
dey could be and with lil' to do. Marster have no plantation for
de men to wo'k but he rented lan' for them to cult'vate.
State: Texas Interviewee: Mcray, Bill
"Marster's niggers all got Sunday clothes and shoes. Every
one or dem have to dress and come to the parlor so he could look
dem over 'fore dey goes to church.
State: Texas Interviewee: Mcray, Bill
"Us have a foreman, name Charlie. It was his duty to keep
de place stock' with wood. He take slaves and wo'k de wood patches
when it needed, but onct marster come home from New Orleans and
foun' dem all sufferin' for want of fire. He call ole Charlie
and ask him why he not git up plenty wood. 'Well,' old Charlie
say, 'wood was short and 'fore I could git more dim col' spell
come and it too awful col' to git wood.' Marster say, 'You keep
plenty wood or I gwinter sell you to a mean marster.' Charlie
git better for a while, then he let wood git low again. So he
was sol' to Ballard Adams, who had the name of bein' hard on his
slaves. Charlie couldn' do enough wo'k to suit Marster Adams,
so he put him in what's knowed as the 'Louisiana shirt
State: Texas Interviewee: Mcray, Bill
Dat was a barrel with a hole out in the bottom jus' big enough
for Charlie to slip he head through. Dey pull dis on to ?in every
mornin' and then he couldn' sit down or use he arms, coul' jus'
walk 'roun' all day, do brunt of other slaves jokes. At night
dey took it off and chain him to he bed. After he have wo'n dis
Louisiana shirt a month de marster task he again. He fail and
run off to the woods. So Marster Adams, he come to Marster McRay
and want to sell Charlie back again, but he couldn'. 'cause freedom
jus' come and they couldn' sell slaves no more, but Marster McRay
say Charlie coul' come back and stay on he place if he wanted
to.
State: Texas Interviewee: Mcray, Bill
"Dey didn' try to teach us readin' and writin? but Miss Mary
read de Bible to us every Sunday. Iffen us git sick dey git ol
Dr. Heynes or Dr. Porkins.
State: Texas Interviewee: Mcray, Bill
"When us chillum, we plays 'Tom Ball' and marbles. Mother's
fav'rite lullaby was Bye-o Baby Huntin'.
State: Texas Interviewee: Mcray, Bill
"I never seed any sojers till after de War close, den I seed
dem camp on Court House Square right here in Jasper. When freedom
was 'clared, Miss Mary call as niggers into the parlor and den
Marster McKay come and tel' us we's free. He 'vise 'em to wo'k
'round Jasper, whar they knows people, and says iffen any wan's
to stay with him to please rise up. Every person ris up. So dey
all stay with him for a time. After 'while he 'gin to rent and
cult'vate differen' plantation, and dere treatment not so good,
so day 'gin to be dissatisfy and pull loose.
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