Felix L. Littlejohn Interview Notes Viola Muse Transcription, encoding, and edition Hunter Blake Transcription, encoding, and edition Amelia Dixon Edition Laura Heffernan Edition Tru Leverette Edition Clayton McCarl

This document was produced as part of the Viola Muse Digital Edition, based at the University of North Florida.

https://violamuse.unfdhi.org/items/show/84 USA Florida Jacksonville Jacksonville Historical Society Viola Muse Collection (1959-18) Folder 15, item 1 Notes from Muse's interview with Felix L. Littlejohn

Handwritten, four pages

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

Mr. Felix L. Littlejohn, 709 EEast 4thFourth St.Street. Born in Alabama —(Cherokee Co.County), 1855, Nov.November 12th. Master, his father — Irishman, Chester Littlejohn. Bragged about yankeesYankees,. ("Taking outour niggers away from us.") Was killed by yankeesYankees.

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Grandpa Littlejohn whipped all us children.

Whipping Bossboss used Bullbull whip (short, large whip). Whipped on SatSaturday. — straighten up matters for week., for Sunday.

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Asked Bossboss how each did for week. If allrightall right, passed by,. ifIf contray — ,contray in place of contrary. DARE does not document such a variation, but does register others that are similar, including cont'ry. five licks.

On his plantation there were no stocks, but real bad ones were sent to other plantations where stocks were, &and they would go over &and borrow other man con–venienceThe word convenience appears here with the sense of 'appliance, device' (MW). The other man['s] convenience are presumably the borrowed stocks in question. &and whip him.

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If bad man &and woman was bought, the Bossboss would sell them. They said it was too much punishment. Didn't believe much in using stocks &and whipping them.

Food was corn bread, peas, beans, greens, cabbage, corn. Hog meat, Chickenchicken on Sunday sometimes. Whites ate chicken &and stock. madeMade dumplings, gave to slaves.

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Up at 4 o'clock. Eat by candle—>lightcandlelight. All gather around table. standStand, not many chairs. Most whites had benches. Big man who owned chairs. Benches called slab bench. Ate out of flat –bottom gourd. No plates. Whites had some dishes. Negroes did not know what plates were to eat out of. Eat before going to field. If you were late, take food with you, &and if you didn't get food, you go without it. Corn bread, mostly. Biscuit once a week, (2 biscuits, adults; A technical limitation currently prevents us from centering this page number. 3 (children, 1). Go to fields with peas &and bread for breakfast.

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Big pot of peas. mornMorn —, noon —, night, until eaten up.

During War, food scarce &and slaves had it hard.

Hide food from Paderoles.The term paderoles appears to be a reference to the patterollers (members of patrols that hunted runaway slaves) in some renditions of the folk song "Run, Nigger, Run," a quotation from which may appear below ("Run, run..."). comeCome by &and clean up, take food away for soldiers. Keep things straight. Watching out for war. Keep Negroes from running away. "Run, run, the Paderoles catch you." Whip you back to the house.

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Soldiers told of freedom.

Blue coatesBluecoats came &and told, as Father Coates.The reference is to Charles Coates, who in his interview with Muse told a similar story of members of the Union Army announcing to the slaves that they were free. See the Charles Coates Interview Notes and the related narratives. Although not mentioned here, the Willis Williams Interview Notes and the corresponding narrative contain a similar account. But slepDARE registers slep as a variant of slept. under house — 1stfirst yryear after War ended in 1865 —. 1863 — 1866, slept under house. Had to on acntaccountWe read on acnt, which we understand as an abbreviation for on account (of) KluKu Klux Klan.In the original, the name appears as Klu Klux Klan.

Sanford —,The reference is possibly to either Sanford, Florida or Sanford, Alabama. 1931 —, from Calhoun Co.County — , North Alabama.

Day work. After war, 1stfirst work — , Mr. Martin, on farm. ﹩5 month. payedPayed on XmasChristmas Eve day.

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Went to Dr. LindersLinder'sWe have intrepreted this surname as Linder, but Linders is another possibility. in Calhoun Co.County. farmingFarming for him. Mother cooked for him, &and he worked on farm.