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Viola B. Muse Page 1
Introduction
through the centuries to medieval history and
down to negro slavery in America, which every
school child can discuss as a remote
currance
may seem in this progressive and civi-
lized country. Particularly interesting infor-
mation, can be known from the untutored mind
of an ex-slave, who still possesses a keen and
unbroken memory of happenings during slavery
and early reconstructive days of our country
Facts concerning incidents which History
of joy and sorrow paint a picture before
the minds of the old artists who portrayed
the life and activity of the Southern plan-
tation during slavery.
__________
kee Indian
adjoining that of her master. When Anna
reached the adlesceint age she was placed
under direst care of her mistress,
and was given charge of dining room and
other valuables of the household.
By vertue of the close association of the slave
girl and her mistress, for Anna claims
to have gone
a kindred love grew between them (insert pagehere)
The test was made and Anna remember well
when
Ridir (page 2)
Anna was kept in the "Big House" as
the master's home was terined by slaves.
She was a trusted servant and had a
sympathetic feeling for her brothers in slavery
and although her mistriss was
with her she denied her the privilage of
education, which some mistress' willing
gave their slaves. However
slaves were allowed to attend revival
and other church services. The
permitted slaves to occupy the balcony of
the church in Dove City
held as slave. The
floor and the slaves were forbiddin 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 permeating her being, she was
restrained from making an outcry or confession
in the midst of the
obliged to keep silent until she got out in
open and could meet the negro deacon who
would listen to her profission of religion.
The nigro deacon would in turn relay the
Ridir (page 2)
have the conveits meet in the vestry room
of the church. Such questions as there
would be the proceedure. Question: What
did you come up here for?
I got religion.
got religion?
are forgiven.
sins are forgiven?
Jesus and everybody.
to be baptised?
do you want to be baptised for?
it will make me like Jesus wants me to
be. After such questions the
set a day and all andidates were
baptised in the creek, or pond of a river.
When slaves wanted to hold their church
meetings the white people allowed them to
use the log school house for white children.
A white preacher intrusted them concerning
the Bible and every means was used to
keep the slaves mind in attitude of submission
and obidience.
Immediatily after Annas conversion
she claims to have had a vision one eve
Ridir (page 3
while sitting on the front porch. She
had always been terribly afraid of the
dead and in the vision an angel appeared
before her and said, "Do not fear death
but be ready when the angel comes for
you." She claims that from that day
forth she has not feared death and
her only fear is of God; God-like.
When "Freedom"- was declaired Anna
had been prepared spiritually to realize
the significance of what it meant to be
Lincoln when he signed the Emancipa-
tion Proclamation.
and marched up to front door and demanded
entrance, he spied a ring upon the mistreses
finger. He lifted her hand and looked scrutini
zingly at the ring
this!" The mistress said, "It was my husbands;
The commander turned and threw his
hand up in protest to his men saying
"get back, she's alright!!
At that same time the Union soldiers
broke open box cars which help provisions of
the Confederate soldiers and distributed
provisions
along their march. Anna said her mother
slaves of the Dove family, sent the colored
people to get meat and she and her brother
toted meat all day and all night and hid
it in dug out under the mistress' house,"
After the soldiers had marched by and they
felt safe the negros divided provisions and
meat with
as all their food had been confiscated. The
meat which was buried under the house was
already smoked and some salted and it
4
a large number of
a long period.
After the army passed next came the
names of slaves held be each master or mis-
tress as
her list to the judge upon request and as
he called each slave’s name he or she was
questioned as to what duties were theirs in
or about the house or plantation. He asked
if they had received any pay since the signing
of the Emancipation Proclamation and if
answered in the negative he said “You are free
now and must be paid for all work you
have done since
time and henceforth. Don’t you work for
anybody without pay.”
Anna told of conversations which she
overheard b between
which they lamented the fact that their slaves
and their property had been taken from them
and “what shall we do” was the expression
her mistress exclaimed.
The soldiers had full charge of the
towns and the contents and proceeded to
break open box cars where the Confederate
5
The provost judge further annouced
that slaves were prevelaged to go to their
relatives and as Anna’s mother had been
separated from her husband and he sold
to a family up in
mother desired to go there to join him
Besides Anna, Sarah Dove had 5 other
children by her husbad
so she took her children and went to
Charleston. It was necessary to cross a
river on way up and log rafts which
formed flat boats were used to transport
the slaves across the river. Long ropes
were attached to these “flats” and men
on the opposite side held ends and as
soon as the boats was loaded the men
would draw it across river. After the
unloading the men on the opposite side would
draw it back
was continued until all had crossed
Trains were consficated also so free
transportation on trains completed the
Two years after freedom Elias
Mumford, Anna’s step-father, heeded the
6
call along with hundreds of others and
joined a band of 650 souls on an
expedition to
was offered in this instance and the
second boat load that went in
Elias Mumford, his wife Sarah, his daugh-
ter Anna
the boat, Africa bound. The trip lasted
for weeks but finally the shores of Africa
was reached. The first place offered the
slaves for landing was
Africa
and when the small boats took the exslaves
to the shore three miles from the big boat
he viewed the surroundings and turned
back in disgust.
next stop. He exclaimed upon landing there
“I wouldn’t live in that place”. Finally
when all landing places were reached and
visited by home seeking Negroes Elias has
not yet found a place to suit his taste
but was told to get off here or out in
the ocean, so he choos the former, and
7
home where he so-jouned eight(8) years.
Elias Mumford had progressive ideas and
was bent on making a fortune. He at
beneficial financially and otherwise.
Anna claims were as large as saucers
and the shells were gathered by her step-
father and burned thereby leaving lime
as a residue. He took the native clay
and with the lime derived from the shell
made brick, baked them in the intinse heat
of the African sun and started the first
brick yard in the town. Besides this
he cut trees
to the natives and missionaries. He was
a carpenter so had three ways of making
his fortune increase, for he sold the lumber
built a brick house for a
and received $110000 for it. Another opportu-
nity for increasing his wealth was presented
when the Missionaries received their pay
in form of checks. They had no way of
8
the delay in getting cash to use
the Missionaries grasped the opportunity
Elias Mumford offered to
In doing this he accumulated goodly
sums of money which he saved.
With a good sum obtained in making in
selling brick, lumber and the brokerage
business he was wealthy as was con-
sidered at that time.
The stay in Africa was not filled
with joy however for the illness death
and heart-aches were far in excess to the
joy.
Anna related the pestilence of the "Mission
Ants which infested the houses, churches, stores
and every human place of inhabitance. It
was sometimes necessary to burn a building
in order to rid the locality of the pests. The
bite was so effective that although it has
been
her feet are still infected as a result, so
much so that she can not wear a shoe w
any degree of comfort. The marks are plai
9
visible today. Another ant known to the
natives of Africa as “Driver Ant” are of
such large size and are so powerful and
stubborn in their march that even streams
of water do not halt their progress. They
join them selves together above the surface
of the stream and form a bridge across
it
This exodus of “Driver Ants” continued for
weeks and their approach could be seen
at great distances and Natives began closing
up and buiding fires to prevent their
entrance to buildings
to be keep burning for weeks until they
had passed by.
Another terrible barrier toward progress
of the American born Negroes upon returning
to what the
Africa
stated that eight
if dew fell upon a victim of the disease
death was always inevitable. In her
10
family remained eigth years over there
and the step-father decided that he wanted
to return to his native birth place so
the family came back to America and
Elias Mumford who had saved his money
his
them to America and cashed them all at
one time. With this money he bought real
property ad began farming, carpentry
and building. He died some years later
leaving his four surviving children a
worthwhile inheritace.
Two years after their return from Africa
Anna married
came to
a farm using part of Anna’s inheritance
from her mother who had passed away and
part that Robert Scott had accumulated. She
has lived continuously on this land and
has vivid memory of Jax early Jacksonville
and its
A woman built physically after the
Indian squad is of medium height,
weighing about 150 lbs, fair complexion w
few wrinkles, mixed gray
11
hair which still affords two braids as
she wears her hair in Indian style
parted down the center. Her straight nose
with medium high cheek bones and
eyes black and as sharp as an
Her teeth seem in fair condition and her
intellect is out of the ordinary when
compared with other ex-slaves. Her
is that of a Southern
she seldom uses what is termed poor
of an interviewer and is cooperative
when it comes to
that she understands to be helpful in
ascertaining facts concering
and early Reconstruction.
Now in her
tends her
work and is a constant out-door liver
except during night when she retires very
early. She lives alone, can use a double
barrel shot gun with accuracy, having
shot a covy of birds a few weeks ago
12
She attends to her own business
with the tax accessor and bank
and guards her financial affairs
jealously.
Finally, Anna Scott is one of
the most versatile ex-slaves I have
ever talked with and her association
with her is highly educational and most
enjoyable.