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K~o r-o /^ LIFE OF ALEXANDER MIGKLES AfW m oV O&y 5i Bo -vJ^ One hundred years old; fifty-lour years a Slave; forty-six years a Free Man; the Old- est Darky in Missis- sippi. ^^% j^<> \0,o Price 25 Cents Rights Reserved fi f Tuoker Printing House Jackaon. iiiss. ^nmrnn'mi mmmmammm ^\ €'aA2i)5vS2 •>> FROM SLAVE TO PATRIARCH The Life of a Darky of the Old South o The Life Historv of a Darky of the Old South. N Deirmber 25. 1811, Aloxaiuler Micklrs was born in Kichland Uislrict. S. C, <>nc hundred and ten miles north of Charleston. His father and mother were slaves owned by .1 T Mickles, a eommission merehant and captain in the Mexiean War. After the war he eame t.. Mobile. Ala leaving Aleck, his father and mother in N.uth Caiolma, where Aleck's father was employed at the rate of twenty six d..llars a month, haulin- stone rock to build the state house. J. T Mickles collected and used the money earn(>d In" his slaves, Meck's father and mother had live childr.Mi. three -iris and two bovs His mother found emi^loyment in a brick yard lor AlecU and his brother. Isaac, for twenty-live cents a day and ten - could come to Mobile, Ala., where their master was. Mr. Mickles agreed to this, and the long, wearisome journev was begun at once, coming by railway to Montgomery. Ala., where a boat was secured to Mobile. After landing Aleck was given to Joseph Mickles, Jr., son of J T Mickles. Aleck was engaged five years in steam-boat labor, on a run from Regules, La., to Montgomery, Ala. For this labor Aleck's master received twenty-six dollars a month, ana — 2— Aleck received pay for Sundays and over-lime, which was the rule in those days. Aleck often made as mucii money for him- self as he did for his master. Other slaves made nothing, and have long since passed awa\-. while Aleck still survives. Aleck is noted, not only as a faithful slave but a life saver. On one trip up the Alabama river, between the Upper Peach tree and the Lower Peach-tree, the Eliza Battle, at about ten o'clock at night took fire. It Avas a cold January night and the river was overflowed, being two miles wide, or more. This boat carried about three hundred passengers, a crew of fifty labor- ing men and nearly two thousand bales of cotton. More than forty li\es were lost. A shot was fired on four men who were escaping with a life boat. This was a frightful scene; men, women and children screaming, flames of fire leaping and roaring, while the bales of cotton for several minutes were tumbling into the water. Some of the stronger ones swam to shore: others clung to bales of cotton, a few stood all night in shallow places in the water; others climbed trees and hung on until iluy were taken down the next day nearly frozen. Aleck lied two bales of cot- ton together, rescued a gentleman who was swimming with his daughter on his back. Aleck placed them on the cotton, re^ moved his coats, robed the \-oung lady in them, which saved her from freezing, while Meek himself stood all night in the water up to his neck to sa\ e his life. On returning to Mobile the gen- tleman presented Aleck with fifty dollars. Th(> rescue boat arrived about eleven o'clock ne.xt day, just in time to save many lives, for it was still freezing cold; icicles more than a foot long were hanging on trees. In those da}'s Aleck was a giant in strength. He could handle a bale of cotton as easily alone, as four ordinary men could. In loading cotton in a boat, it was often one hundred and seventy live feet from the wharf to the blufV. Aleck could stop a bale, hook and tip it on his toe, and slide it to its place with ease. He could, also, take two hooks, place a bale of cotton, weighing five hundred and fifty pounds on his shoulders, and trot forty steps. When Aleck came to Mobile it was only a small village. Dauphin Street was about one-half mile long. He earned S5.00 a month in South Carolina, and the first month in Mobile he (.arncd -ST.Od and declared it the best country in the world. Common labor was carried on by slaves and Dagoes. In Mobile, slaves could walk over town until 9 o'clock p. m. After nine all caught were locked up until next morning and the master must pay 81.00 to redeem the slave; on refusing to do so the slave was punisiied by thirty nine lashes being given. Mobile was a thriving town, the price of labor being 20c and 2r)c an hour; numbers of free negroes lived here at this time. The M. & (). was the lirst railroad built from Mobile, and was likewise the first railroad built in Mississippi. In those days steamboat labor was very severe. A slave's daily ration was a pound of meat a day and bread and vege- tables in i)roporti(jn. Those wh(j could not consume the ration were sent back home. Aleck could consume a pound of meat daily and many times at one meal. He was given as much as he wanted to eat. Lea\ ing the boat Aleck was sent to work under a man by the name of I. \). Dunevin, eleven miles north of Mobile. Aleck earned 5()c e\ery Saturday night and chopj)ed ties on Sunday, which netted him about 82.00 a month. He was engaged in driving a team for Dunevin, hauling ties. His mules were al- ways in fine condition. Aleck's occupation prevented him from having but little dealings with the Indians. What he learned was that the In- dians were an enemy to the negroes. They would watch the fields and camps of slaves to steal the babies and carry them away or scalp them. The Indian is a cunning warrior. He would hide by the roadside, climb a tree or get in a hollow stump, gobble like a turkey that would decieve the white man as well as the negro, and then would kill his man. The treatment of slaves depended altogether on the pro- prietor. Some were very cruel, while others were liberal enough with their slaves. Aleck's master was not a farmer, therefore, Aleck did not know much about the treatment of slaves on the farms. Generally, the man who owned about a thousand negroes was kind enough. Colonel AVade Hampton, of Columbia, S. C.» owned a thousand slaves, and always treated them as humans; but a man who owned five or six was harder on them, and a man — 4— who owned onl}- a man or woman was really cruel to them. I want you to' bear in mind, it all depended on the foreman, or the owner, and the negro slave. A week's ration for an adult on an average was a peck of meal, four pounds of meat, and one quart of molasses, two blankets which were given on Christmas, other bedding was made b\- the negro at leisure time. The houses, too, depended on the cir- cumstances of the owner, none were uncomfortable; every man had a pest house and when a slave got sick he was quickly re- moved to the i)est-housc and a doctor was called at once. When Aleck was a small boy the sla\ es were given two days, later one day a year, and it was onl\- a few years before the\' were given freedom that they had Sundays allowed. The industrious negroes cultivated patches on these days, of corn and cotton, or anything they wished. Slaves were given two suits a year, a spring and a winter suit, with one pair of shoes a year. They were allowed to own pr()i)ert>-. such as horses, cows, hogs and chickens but were not allowed lire arms, nor were they allowed to buy whiskey excej)! with an order from the master. They could go hunting, if the slave was known to be trustworthy; the\- were not forced to go to church, but they usually did go. The minister i)reached at eleven o'clock in the morning to the while pe()i)le and at three in the afternoon to the negroes out under a brush shed built by the side of the church. The energetic slaves often got credit until fall. On the lirst day of January slaves were bartered or sold; a negro could be employed by his owner to aiiolher man, or "hired out." This was done at the court-house. The slaves were carried there and the highest bidder got the sla\e for one year. Usually $2(i on the railroad and steamboat, and 812 to 815 in a saw mill, with 810 to 812 on the farm was bid. ■ Slaves were sold to the highest bidder. Children were sold at one year old, and often a mother would be sold away from her one-year-old baby; at one year they brought 8500 to 8800; at two years, 8400 to 81,000; other ages, in proportion; girls from 12 years to 18, 81,100 to 82,000; men, scape galleys, 8800 to 8900; good men, 81,800 to 83,000; boys, 12 to 20, 81.200 to 82.000. Slaves, on being sold. could sometimes ^d or were allowed to select their master. Boys and l)jecl. a day was set, ft line sui)i)er was prepared, the pastor was sunnnoned who read llie ceremony from the Bible and i)r()n()unce(l them married. If they li\ed on the same i)lantalion they lived to- gether, but if tlie man was on one farm, the woman on another, each remained on his master's place; the man was allowed to go to see his wife once a week, generally. Sometimes a master would buy a man's wife and bring her on his farm, so the two could live together. \Vhij)i)ing was the i)unishment intlicted for various oll'ences, on both men and women, and at various places. Women as well as men were whipi)ed in the fields, between cotton rows. Two hundred and fift\- pounds of cotton was a day's task for an adult. I'ailing to gel this, he or she was whipped. When a slave refused to be whipped, a day was set, eight or ten white men invited to come, a gallon of whiskey and a i)lug of tobacco procured; the negro was sent for, but as he usually refused to obey the call, the men would go down into the field and all proceed to fight the negi'o; of course, they conquered the slave, and then all of them e.xcept the negro would drink some of the whiskey, then the first man walks up to the negro who is tied up and beats him luitil he tires; all of the others do likewise and then the slave's master bores a hole through the plug of tobacco, puts a cord through the hole, lies it around his neck, takes the whip and stei)s tip to the negro and says in a loud voice, "I have come to stay as long as this plug of tabocco lasts." With this he takes a big chew and with all his power strikes the negro four or i'wc blows with the whip. Then he chews the tobacco, rests a short while, strikes several more blows; and he keeps this tip until the 1)1 ug of tobacco is chewed up, taking one big chew after another. The negro is left tied and another slave is ordered to make a water bucket full of very strong salty brine, which he takes and with a mop washes and re washes the slashed and — 6— bruised negro until his entire bare bod}' is covered witli salt. It may be that this negro will not need another whipping for two years. It is understood that the disposition of master and slave caused severe punishment or an easy life. Obedience is and was the best policy, ^fany slaves were never whipped at all. Aleck witnessed all these sights and hardships, but he says he sees but one dilference in being under bondage and free, that is a free negro can go without a permit, while a slave had to have one from his master. In Aleck's early life the white people made all their clothes at home, rich and poor. The farmers were up at 4 o'clock in the morning at work; boys ploughed two hours before school- time and two hours when they returned home in the evenings. The men in those days wore their hair over their shoulders. If one happened to the misfortune to go to the penitentiary, on leaving the pen one side of the head was shaved. This is no doubt the origin of cutting the hair so close. In those days the towns had no barber shops. The bo\'s and girls were economical in dress, plain and neat, but in the fashion of the day. In Columbus, S. C, was located one of the largest colleges of the times. The daily attendance was about 400. It was well equipped for the times. Twelve was the limit of a room, it was called "tenement," and one negro had twelve students or one tenement to keep in order. The beds were to be straightened, the floors swept, wood and water put into the room, and the shoes were to be blacked. Students had to rise at 5 a. m., go to chapel service, eat breakfast at 7 a. m., and then prepare for regular work which began a 8 a. m. Colonel Davis (Iladnier was proprietor of the boarding-house, as it was called. Aleck was put to keep one of the tenements in order and gave satis- faction. Oftentimes a negro was taught to read and write by the students while he was in their room. And when a negro happened to fall into the hands of a good master he or she was often taught to read or \mte, and they were frequently carried to Sunda\' School where they learned the letters from their master or mistress. This, too, depended on both the negro's and liis master's disposition. The general trend of dispositions of both white people and blacks has not changed much since the war. Aleck was sent to labor as a section-hand on the M. & 0., at Citronelle, Ahi., where lie worked for six months, and then on the (i;rade near the state line and Buekatunna, Miss. A rush was made to complete the road to State Line by the 4th of July and as this was accomplished a big barbecue was given. Aleck sta\ed on the grade about one year and then he went back to a steamboat, and then to the M. & ().. hauling ties, where he re- mained more than twent> years. Here is where he met Captain Rich for the first time. Aleck married Dall'ne, who made him hapi)y in her young and (Md age. She was uneducated, but was an excellent cook, and was often employed by wealthy people in Mobile, in Hat- tiesburg and man>' other places. She was very kind and at every place she worked gave satisfaction, never having angry words with any one. Aleck and DalVnc lived together, happily, for many years, until her death. When the war broke out Aleck lived at State Line, ^^iss., laboring for 1. I). Dunevin, emjiloyed by his master. .Ml those years Aleck stayed at home and worked, while other slaves Ioaf(Hl about the farm and over the woods. When the masters left the farms the women were unable to control all the negroes. White |)eo|)le who contiiuied to work during the war lived fairly well, while those who did not, allowed their farms to go to WTCck and much poverty prevailed. A cerlain amount of (>\(M\lhing raised on the farm went to the army during the war. Women often made clothes, blan- kets, etc.. and sent to ihe soldiers. Sometimes they parched corn, ground it into meal and sent it to their husbands, fathers and friends, .\egroes freriuently escaped to the IVdcral army and would loaf around their camps. And when freedom was given them they refused to stay on the farm but went to the towns and as they could not all obtain work they moved from place to place. They were promised a mule and forty acres of land, supposed to be given by the master. Coffee sold for SKI a j^ound. salt for S75 a sack, and every- tliing else in proportion, in Confederate money. The third year of the war the U. S. Cavalry often raided the negro quarters and carried all the negroes captured to the salts works; those who — 8— escaped were captured by blood-hounds, the owner of the hounds receiving 825.00 for his services. Frequently the cattle was found in the woods and killed for beef by the Federals. When Aleck heard the surrender read he happened to be with his father and mother at John Hugh Perkins, Rawhide, Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, ten miles south of the present city of Starkville, Miss. His father's family now numbered eleven. On the farm were eleven other negroes who left and went into town, while Aleck,. his father and his father's family, stayed and made a crop, and each received for his part when the crop was sold. 850.00. Aleck recei\ ed 875.00. Ike Kinnon who was a former slave on Perkin's farm, went to town to live easy and happy. He heard of the mule and land the U. S. (Government was going to take from his master and give to him. He paid 810.00 to an ofhc(>r who claimed to be a land agent and in return received a strip of paper that read, "Let Ike have a nuile and 10 acres of land where he wants it." Ike wore a beaver hat which had been in use for ten years or more, a ragged coat and pants, a pair of brogan shoes badly worn and full of holes. No doubt, he had e.Npected some trouble, for he had stuHed his shoes with wild onions and was chewing a big mouthful, and spitting spitefully towards Mr. Perkins, when lie came up to him to i)resent the oriler. \fr. Perkins ordered him to halt but he came on until within a few feet of Mr. Perkins, when Mr. Perkins put 15 buck shot in his throat. Ike fell on his face dead. A boy brought the news to Aleck who was jjlowing in the field. He called the other negroes, and all went to see dead Ike. In this country at that time colVns were few and boards liard to make. Lucky Aleck found four or live boards which were about one and a half feet too short, but which w^ere used anyway for making the casket. It was a dry season and the lime rock was hard, so digging the gi-ave caused much toil, but a hole about two feet deep was chopped out and the murdered corpse was placed in a rickety one-horse cart and carried to the grave. He was placed in the coffin and grave, which was all too short. Aleck found that he could make it lit though by setting his knees up, placing some boards by them on one side the body was covered with two boards which formed the shape of the grave, a little dirt was placed on the boards, which with I lie boards niado a noal looking j.^rave. It was more than four nionlhs before the knees dropped down "^and leftthe grave level. This is only one of thousands of similar incidents which happened during the reign of the Freedman's Bureau. After the crojjs were sold and each received his pay, Aleck made his way back to Cai)lain Rich at State Line, where he wcnl into the tie and wood business for Capt. Rich. He labored at this until the engines began to burn coal. Sam Hooks oi^ened up a turpentine plant at Stale Line. Miss., and Aleck found employment in this business at once. At this time, 75 bo.xes was an average day's work, but the first day Aleck wi^rked he choj)ped 75 in half a da.w He had never seen or worked at it before, either. After some experience and practice in ihc art of chopping, he easily made 75 in one hour. The price of a box was one and a half cents. Three barrels was the average rate of di|)ping. Aleck learned the trade of tur- pentining and worked faithfully at it. He rented .some timber, choi)ped the boxes. chiiJix'd the trees, and dip the crude from the boxes. He would often lake his oxen and wagon to the woods, which was four miles from his camp, dip nine barrels of crude, load on his wagon, and return, unload before night, after having left his cam|) after sunrise in the morning. I'letcher Hook and Smith Malone. both business men. know these to be facts. Aleck is a small man. his average weight being 175 tt:)S., but has never been excelled in any kind of maiuial labor, by either white of black. At the age of 80 he picked uj) a pair of iron trucks with his hands; the trucks weighed 5(I0 ll'S., and no other man ever moved them. While i)lowing one day for .1. 1). Perkins, one year after the war. he struck a horse that weighed about 85(1 pounds on the head with his lirsi; the horse tumbled into a ditch and could not get up. Aleck looked for help, seeing none, he picked the horse uj) b\- the shoulders and lifted him out. This was wit- nessed by .]. 1). Perkins who laughed heartily at the sight from his hiding place in the bushes near by. On one occasion, for Abner Gains, State Line, Miss., he split 1,500 yellow pine rails, hauled them on an ox-wagon a short distance and made a fence of them. He began Monday morning — 1®— and finished at thr^e o'clock Thursday. The limber had been culled for more than 11 years. The average rail-splitter will do well to get 250 a day. Before the war all timber cut was with an ax; stock logs were cut for 10c a log. The average chopping of a day was 25 logs, and Aleck has cut 75 logs with an ax in one day, the logs about 25 feet long and none less than 17 inches at top. Five or six years after the war cross-cut saws were introduced. The first was the Lightning Simon, with a blade about 1 inches wide, later the Avider blades came into use. One day Aleck needed some money for a party. He went to I. Z. Grissom of State Line who employed him to chop stock logs; Aleck began at 8 o'clock in the morning and just at 12 he had cut 75 logs, 25 feet long and not less than 17 inches at top. Aleck's wife was cooking for Colonel (lains before and dur- ing the war. \Vlien freed, she remained on there for three years. Aleck came and went to visit her often. While working on the railroad among other negroes he was exposed to small-pox. Col. Gains forbade his coming on his premises until he was safe from an attack. This displeased Aleck and he moved Dalfne from Gain's to an old still iiouse. It was a week before Col. Gains found them. Aleck and his wife and three children were invited to make their home back at (jain's imt Aleck refused and with the Colonel's assistance built a log cabin where he moved his family at once and began life anew. One Sunday morning Aleck walked over to his sister's who lived near him, and while he was there a hurricane blew the roof ofi the shanty, turned over the i)ots, etc., but no one was hurt. Aleck had told his brother in-law that his house was in an old storm line; this convinced him and he moved his house. Aleck li\ ed in his own log cabin happily, work in wood, ties and turpentine for several years. About this time the X. 0. & N. E. Railroad was being built. A man from Georgia had the contract for ties. This man's men could not work small timber. Mr. C. W. Rich, son of Capt. Rich, came to the "new road" as it was called, to contract for ties. Mr. Rich foimd it difficult to get the negroes to come on the new road unless Big Aleck would come. Aleck was dipping turpentine at the time and —11— maUin<^ S4.00 a day. Finally he consented to come. They left State Line and went to Sliubuta on the train, then all shoul- dered their tools, bedding, etc., and started on foot for a place known as 1-^retta, Miss., where they chopped ties for three months; then to where the historic town on Purvis now stands; here Aleck chopped three months and returned home, walking with two others a distance of 85 miles. Roads were few and the journey was ditficult. Regardless of all this the trip was made in a remarkably short time. They left Purvis one Sunday morning at 12 o'clock, and Monday afternoon at 4 o'clock they were at Jones' I'erry, 4 miles from Slate Line. Aleck spent one year dipping turpentine in State Line, after returning from the new road (the N. 0. & N. E.) The steel rails liad been laid on the N. 0. and N. E. about one year and business was opening uj). C. W. Rich had pro- cured a location for the manufacturing of naval stores and a saw mill plant at a plactv known then as Carter's Switch, 6 miles south of the present city of Hattiesburg. It later became known as Richburg, where the Sullivan and Killrain battle was fought. Aleck was ever ready to fijllow his faithful master, C. W. Rich. He jiacked his household goods, was on the move to the new road, and the first man landed there to labor for C. W. Rich was .Vleck. Before Aleck came to Richburg he worked three months on Brown's cut about 40 miles north of Meridian. Aleck and his brother worked 7 days in a week. When paid off they returned home. Meridian was at that time but a small towii, not over ten small stores and other business in proportion. The first thing Aleck did was to locate a cemetery. He and UalVne located the one now used in Richburg. One year after this, a man was killed. C. W. Rich came to Aleck and said, "Aleck, we have a dead man, where will we bury him? We have no grave-yard." Aleck said, "I picked out one the ne.xt day after I came here," and when Capt. Rich went to the place and saw Aleck's selection, he said "this is the finest grave-yard in the world," and he is about right. The first work Aleck did after landing in Richburg was re- pairing and building houses; next was chopping turpentine — Un- boxes. When dipping season came, he would take the dipping crew out. The price of lilHng a barrel was 'M)c. Aleck had several children and with his labor all made a good living. He followed this occupation for several years. Aleck always paid Ills debts and could get credit anywhere he was laiown. One Saturday evening, in Hichburg, while in a drinking stand, down in the quarters, Aleck had drunk too much and with three others they had a bloody hght in which iVleck received a blow on the head with brass knucks and also a stab in the side. From 3 o'clock in the afternoon until 5 in the morning on Sunday Aleck lay pronounced dead. He had to sta\- in bed two weeks, at the point of deatli, but by close attention he recovered. Aleck homesteaded one and half miles norlh of Hichburg, where he built a small house and cleared a farm. He labored in the turpentine and timber until his sight failed him in 1907. He is now well and can do as nuich labor as an>- man on the farm if he could only see. —13— INCIDENTS. One Saturday night, while Aleck and his sister were walking home on tlie railroad they were surprised to hear a star biu'st. The hght shone about 15 minutes and was brighter than the sun. This happened while Aleck was living at State Line. Several years before the war Halley's comet appeared. It rose in the evening, in the northwest, with a broad tail extending across the world eastward. In IHlo. it appeared again, but I could not see it this time. Aleck remembers an earthquake, while he was in South Carolina. It was severest in Charleston, but he was not near there. In V,HH) one morning he went out coon hunting about 8 o'clock and an eclip.se of the sun eame on. It lasted for several hours and became so dark he lost his wa>- and didn't gel home until late in the afternoon. A year or two after the war, whiN' Aleck was living in Ok- tibbeha County, he saw as he was coming from a tan yard about 9 miles from his home a train of nortliern men going west. A few gray-coats had fallen iii their comi)any and many negroes were with the Yankees. The women often threw their babies by the road sid(> lo die. He saw several that had been so left. Farther on he met an army of squirrels migi'ating to the west. They were fox. gray and even some black s(iuirrels. it was a strange sight, he says, for they ne\('r lunied for aii,\lliing, nor were they wild; they climbed over fences, through lields and even over wagons that had slopp(>d in the roadway. Many were killed by wagons rolling over them. A short time before the war the deer was struck by the black tongue. Aleck says he often saw 8 to 10 deer dead in one place. Nearly all the deer in the country died from this disease. The next night after the birth of C. W. Rich, the home of Captain Rich caught fire. Aleck was sleeping in a cabin near by. Waking and seeing the house on fire he ran in and went to Mrs, Rich's room, grabbed her. baby and bed and carried them to his cabin. He hurried back for the other members of the family, and just as the last one of them had gotten out down came the roof in a flame of fire. 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