Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States from Interviews with Former Slaves, Volume II, Arkansas Narratives, Part 5 · Chapter 45Interviewer: Mrs. Bernice Bowden Person interviewed: Ada Moorehead 2300 E. Barraque, Pine Bluff, Arkansas Age: 82?
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"I was here in slavery times, honey, but I don't know exactly how old I am. I was born in Huntsville, Alabama but you know in them days old folks didn't tell the young folks no thin' and I was so small when they brought me here. I don't know what year I was born but I believe I'm about eighty-two. You know when a person ain't able to work and dabble out his own clothes, you know he's gone a long ways.
"My white folks was Ad White what owned me. Called him Marse Ad. Don't call folks marse much now-days.
"My father was sold away from us in Alabama and we heard he was here in Pine Bluff so Aunt Fanny brought us here. She just had a road full of us and brought us here to Arkansas. We walked. We was a week on the road. I know we started here on Monday morning and we got here to the courthouse on the next Monday round about noon. That was that old courthouse. I reckon that ground is in the river now.
"When we got here I saw my father. He took me to his sister—that was my Aunt Savannah—and dropped me down.
"Mrs. Reynolds raised me. She come to Aunt Savannah's house and hired me the very same day I got here. I nursed Miss Katie. She was bout a month old. You know—a little long dress baby. Don't wear then long dresses now—gettin' wiser.
"Mrs. Reynolds she was good to me. And since she's gone looks like I'm gone too—gone to the dogs. Cause when Mrs. Reynolds got a dress for Miss Katie—got one for me too.
"My father was a soldier in the war. Last time I heard from him I know he was hauling salt to the breastworks. Yes, I was here in the war. That was all right to me but I wished a many a time I wasn't here.
"I went to school two or three days in a week for about a term. But I didn't learn to read much. Had to hire out and help raise my brother and sister. I'm goin' to this here government school now. I goes every afternoon.
"Since I got old I can think bout the old times. It comes to me. I didn't pay attention to nothin' much when I was young.
"Oh Lord, I don't know what's goin' to become of us old folks. Wasn't for the Welfare, I don't know what I'd do.
"I was sixteen when I married. I sure did marry young. I married young so I could see my chillun grown. I never married but once and I stayed a married woman forty-nine years to the very day my old man died. Lived with one man forty-nine years. I had my hand and heart full. I had a home of my own. How many chillun? Me? I had nine of my own and I raised other folks' chillun. Oh, I been over this world right smart—first one thing and then another. I know a lot of white folks. They all been pretty good to me."