Anna Scott Narrative (1 of 3) Viola Muse Transcription, encoding and edition Savannah Almond

This document was produced as part of the Viola Muse Digital Edition (violamuse.unfdhi.org), based at the University of North Florida.

 USA Florida Jacksonville Jacksonville Historical Society Viola Muse Collection (1959-18) Folder 14, item 2 Narrative based on the experiences of Anna Scott

Typed, 3 pages, damage to edges

Document transcribed and encoded following the criteria of the Viola Muse Digital Edition (violamuse.unfdhi.org), based at the University of North Florida.

Introduction

Slavery, from as far back as Biblical times, through the Centuriescenturies to Medieval history and down to Negro slavery in America, which every school child can discuss as a remote occu-rance, is not as far removed as it may seem in this progressive and civilized country. Particularly interesting information can be drawn from the untutored mindofmind of an ex-slave who still po-sesses a keen and unbroken memory of happenings during slavery and early reconstructionReconstruction days of our country.

Facts concerning incidents which Historyhistory records, inter-spersed with individual experiences of joy and sorrow, paint a picture before the mindsminds' eye which rivals the most striking paint-ings of the old artists who portrayed the life and activity of the Southern plantation during slavery.

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Anna Scott was born at Dove City, South Carolina, Jan.January 28, 1846, of a half breedhalf-breed Cherokee Indian and Negro mother. Her father, an Anglo-Saxon, was the owner of a plantation adjoining that of Anna’s mother. When Anna reached the adloscentadolescent age, she was placed under direct care of her mistress, Mrs. Abigail Dove, and was given charge of the dining room and also trusted with the keys to all provisions and some other valuables of the household.

By virtue of the close association of the slave girl and her mistress, for Anna claims to have gone every whereeverywhere her mistress went, a kindred love grew between them. Anna was kept in the’bigthe "big house 'house," as the master’s home was termed by slaves. She was a trusted servant and had sympathetic feeling for her brothers in slavery. Although her mistress was continually with her, she was denied the privelageprivilege of an education which some mistresses willingly gave their slaves. However, she and otherslavesother slaves were allowed to attend revival and other church services. The white people An expanse of about the length of 15 typed characters is absent here due to damage on the edge of the page. From context, the missing text would appear to be allowed, permitted, or something similar. Page 2. slaves to occupy the balcony of the church in Dove City, S.C.South Carolina, where Anna was held as slave. The Whiteswhites occupied the main floor and the slaves were forbidden to sing, talk, or make a sound. To do either meant a terrible whipping or worse punish-ment.

If by the preaching a slave felt the Spirit of God permeat-ing her being, she was restrained from making an outcry or con-fession in the midst of the Whitewhite people. She was obliged to keep silent until she got out in the open and could meet the Negro Deacondeacon, who would listen to her profession of religion.

The Negro Deacondeacon would, in turn, relay the incident to the Whitewhite Deaconsdeacons, who would have the converts meet in the vestry room of the Whitewhite church. Such questions as these would be asked. — Q.Question-: "What did you come up here for?" A.Answer-: "Because I got religion." QQuestion-: "How do you know you got religion?" A.Answer-: "Because I know my sins are forgiven." Q.Question-: "How do you know your sins are forgiven?" A.Answer-: "Because I love Jesus and I love everybody." Q.Question-: "Do you want to be bibtisedbaptised?" A.Answer-: "Yes, sir." Q.Question-: "What do you want to be baptized for?" A.Answer-: "Because it will make me like Jesus wants me to be."

After such questions, the Whitewhite Deacondeacon set a day, and all candidates were baptized in the creek, or ford of a river.

When slaves wanted to hold their church meetings, the Whitewhite people allowed them to use the log school houseschoolhouse, for white chil-dren. A Whitewhite preacher instructed them concerning the Bible and every means was used to keep the slavesslaves' mind in attitude of sub-mission and obidienceobedience.

Immediately after Anna's conversion, she claims to have had a vision one evening while sitting on the porch of her home. She

Page 3.

When Ffreedom was declared, Anna had been prepared spiri-tually to realize the significanofsignificance of what it meant to be Ffree, and to appreciate the Aact of Abraham Lincoln when he signed the Emancipation Proclamation, and when Sherman’s Army marched through Georgia and on to South Carolina. She related with warmth and f feeling the joy of the Negroes when the Union armyArmy bore the glad tidings of great joy that all slavesshacklesslaves' shackles had been broken, and Negroes were free indeed. She related the fear and anxiety of her young mistress upon hearing of the approach of Sherman’s Army.

The mistress of Anna did not know what to do when the news came to her of the approach, and fear possessed her. Anna was fear-ful lest harm should befall her mistress. bBut when the head officer in charge of the squarronsquadron reached her home and marched up to the front door and demanded entrance, he spied a ring upon the mis-tress’ finger. He lifted her hand and looked scrutinizingly at the ring of a Master Mason, asking, “wWhere did you get this “ ??" The mistress said, "It was my husband’s. I am now the widow of Daniel Dove;. myMy name is Abigail Dove." The commanding officer turned to his men, threw up his hand in protest and said,"“gGet back! sShe is alrightall right".."

At that same time, the unionUnion soldiers broke open >box carsboxcars which held provisions of the Confederates and distributed to the slaves, these provisions and other property they had confiscated along their march. Anna related how her mother, Sarah Dove, also a slave of the Dove family, sent the Negroes to get meat and how she and her brother “toted meat all day and all night, and hid it in dug outsdugouts under the mistress’ house.”

After the soldiers had marched by and they felt safe, the

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