C. B. McRay
State: Texas Interviewee: Mcray, C. B.
Mcray, C. B. -- Additional Interview
State: Texas Interviewee: Mcray, C. B.
C. B. McRay is a tall, slender, old negro man with a very dark
skin, broad, flat nose, and the general features of his race.
He wears his kinky hair cut very short. At first, he is rather
unapproachable and has a slow, secretive, and sophisticated manner
as though he believes the human race will bear a little watching.
He told of only one wife, but his present wife explained, confidentially,
that he has had six wives in all.
State: Texas Interviewee: Mcray, C. B.
"My name is C. B. McRay, better known as "Co 'nstalk,'
cause I's long an' slim. Also knowed as 'Racer' cause I uster
be very fleet on my feet. W'en I was ten year' ol' I very of'en
caught a rabbit dat jump up befo' me, simply by runnin' him down
'cross de farm. Don' see why my boys can't do de same. I was bo'n
in de town er Jasper, on Main street, right w'er Lanier's Sto'
now stan's, on April 12, 1861. My father's name was Calvin Bell
McRay, de same as mine. Mother's name was Harriet McRay. Father
was bo'n in Virginny, an' Mother in Sabine County, Texas. My brudder's
name' Bill McRay, Robert Dacus an' Duckin Dacus. I hab no sisters
libin'. Father an' Mother sep'rate, Father marry 'gin an' has
a younger fambly but I don' know dere name'. Father an' Mother
was slaves right yere in Jasper, an' so was my gran'paren's. My
Mother's father was bo'n in Africy. Gran'mother come from Virginny
but her paren's was brung from Africy to Virginny.
State: Texas Interviewee: Mcray, C. B.
"Beginnin' w'er de new Pos' Office now stan's, wes' to de
M.E. Chu'ch, an' sou'f to Gibb's Sto', was a neighborhood er w'ite
people wid servant' libin' in all dere back yards. John H. McRay
he was us marster. He was call' a 'nigger trader'. He was sich
a easy marster dat uder people call' he slaves 'McRay's Free Niggers.'
Marster marry a Miss Payne. She inherit a couple er niggers, Gibson
an' Phoebe Payne. Dey fadder come from Africy an' dey mudder from
Virginny. Dey hab six chillen, mekin' eight slaves inherit' by
Marse McRay' wife. Marster den 'gin to mek trips to N' Yawlin's
to buy slaves w'ich he brung back an' sol' to de farmers. Mistess
was de bes'es' w'ite woman to culled folks dat eber lib."
State: Texas Interviewee: Mcray, C. B.
"I was too li'l to wuk much er earn money, but I 'member
lotser t'ings. Us hab a big dinin' room wid a big long table fo'
de culled folks an' us git jes' de same kin' er food dat de w'ite
folks hab on dere table. Iffen a nigger sass de marster an' he
couldn' control him, he was de fus' one to be sol' an' git rid
er. He sol' my uncle dat way."
State: Texas Interviewee: Mcray, C. B.
"De nigger women spun an' weave de clo's. All er dem was
gib shoe' in de winter time. Marster lib in a big, frame house,
right w'er de ol' no, de new Pos' Office now stan's. Dey hab two
er dey chillen bury in dere garden, which was from de new Pos'
Office to Gibb's Sto'. Dere name's Billie an' Emma McRay. Dey
was bury' dere prob'ly sixty year' ago. Fo' a number er year'
dere grabes was care' fo', but atter dere paren's die, dey plow
right ober dem wid de res' er de garden. Now I hab los' dere location."
State: Texas Interviewee: Mcray, C. B.
"Kelin McRay, de ol'es son went to de war an' was kill'.
Benjamin Rush was de secon' son, den Richard, an' nex' a daughter,
May, said to be de purties' woman in Jasper up to dat time."
State: Texas Interviewee: Mcray, C. B.
"Marster hab no plantation. He rent lan' fo' de men slaves
to cult'vate, but de women stay at home an' wove an' spun. I 'spec
dat Cunnel McRay's was de on'ies' place in Jasper w'er you could
go any time er day an' see a parlor full er nigger women, sittin'
up dere as fat as dey could be, an' wid li'l er nuthin' to do.
Marster's niggers all hab Sunday clo's an' shoes. Eb'ry one er
dem hab to dress an' den come to de parlor so he could look dem
ober befo' dey went to chu'ch."
State: Texas Interviewee: Mcray, C. B.
"Us hab a fo'men (foreman) name Ol' Charlie. He was also
de wagoner. It w'er his duty to keep de place stock' wid wood.
He tuk de slaves an' wuk de patches w'en dey need it but much
er de time dey was idle. Onct de Ol' master come home from a trip
to N' Yawlin's an' foun' dem all sufferin' fo' want of fire. He
call ol' Charlie an' ax him why he hab not git up plenty er wood.
'Well,' ol' Charlie say, 'de wood was sho't (short) an' befo'
I could git any mo' dis col' spell come an' now it too awful col'
to git wood.' Marster say, 'Charlie, you keep plenty er wood from
now on er I gwineter sell you to a mean marster an' git someone
to tek your place who do as he tol'.' Charlie git better fo' a
w'ile but befo' long de same t'ing happen 'gin an' Charlie was
tol' he on'y hab one mo' chanct. Marster went on anuder trip an'
ol' Charlie 'low de wood run low 'gin. Cunnel McRay was rile'
t'roo an' t'roo an' sol' him to Ballard Adams, a marster wid de
name er bein' hard on he slaves. Ol' Charlie was, by dis time,
not use to wuk an' he couldn' keep up wid de uder slaves."
State: Texas Interviewee: Mcray, C. B.
"De new marster task' him an' he fail'. He call him up an'
ax him why he hab not complete' he task. Charlie tol' him he jes'
couldn'. He tol' him to git up befo' day an' finish an' den to
do 's much as de res',
State: Texas Interviewee: Mcray, C. B.
fo' de res' er de day. Ol' Charlie fail' 'gin. De marster den
put him in w'at known as de 'Louisiana shu't (shirt). Dat was
a bahrel wid a hole cut in de bottom jes' big 'nuf fo' him to
slip he head t'ree. Dey pull dis on to him eb'ry mawnin'. He couldn'
sit down er use he arms, could jes' walk 'roun' all day, de brunt
er de uder slave' jokes. At night dey tuk it off an' chain him
to he bed. Atter he hab wo' (worn) dis Louisiana shu't a mont'
de marster task' him 'gin. He fail' an' run off to de wood."
State: Texas Interviewee: Mcray, C. B.
"Ballard Adams, de new marster, dey come to Cunnel McRay
an' wanter sell him back to him. Cunnel McRay tol' him he couldn'
buy him cause all de slaves done jes' been sot free. But he tol'
him to jes' let him 'lone an' iffen he come back an' wanter stay
wid him, he would gib him some kin'er wuk to do. Atter a w'ile
he did come back an' de ol' marster 'low him to stay."
State: Texas Interviewee: Mcray, C. B.
"I neber seed de McRay slaves whip'. Dey didn' try to teach
us to read an' write, but Miss Mary McRay read de Bible to de
slaves eb'ry Sunday. Parson Stovall was my fav'tie preacher. He
was a Mef'dis' an' preach fo' many year'. Sattiday was like eb'ry
under day. Eb'ry day was Sunday wid 'McRay's free niggers.' W'en
us was chillen, 'Town Ball' an' 'marbles' was de fav'rit games.
Mothers fav'rit lullaby was,
State: Texas Interviewee: Mcray, C. B.
'Bye-o-Baby Buntin', Daddy' gone a huntin',
State: Texas Interviewee: Mcray, C. B.
To git a li'l rabbit skin.
State: Texas Interviewee: Mcray, C. B.
To wrop my Baby Buntin' in.'
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