The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 76, July 1972 - April, 1973 Page: 382
539 p. : ill. (some col.), maps, ports. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
Southwestern Historical Quarterly
Again, after attending the funeral of the scion of an "Old Three Hun-
dred" settler, an oldtimer remarked to his companion, "Well, he was
the only one of the boys to have white children."1o
Cruelty and injustice certainly existed in the master-slave relation-
ship, but it was not the dominating characteristic. When cases of mis-
treatment came into court, the judges were usually fair in their inter-
pretations and decisions.57 If the general public had not agreed with the
judges the rulings of the courts would no doubt have reflected this atti-
tude. Mistreatment did occur, of course, and more than one slave has
charged that a master or mistress was cruel. Frances Spriggs (born in
1855), for instance, was given by Leonard Groce to his son Fulton as a
wedding gift when he married Acenath Jackson. According to Frances,
"Miss Cennie whipped me hard. She had nothing else to do. She
whipped me when I stopped rocking Miss Courtney, and she beat me
when I did not come running when she called me. She had the worst
temper. She used to yell and scream at Mr. Fulton but he paid her no
mind."
Here Wharton Collins, husband of Frances Spriggs Collins, took up
the tale, "We were both born on the Leonard Groce plantation and
Frances fell to Mr. Fulton when he married. 'Deed, Frances had it rough
with Miss Cennie."
Nevertheless, Wharton and Frances Collins spoke with affection of
the rest of the Groce family. Other ex-slaves remembered their for-
mer white families with affection. Old men and old women when they
were in trouble turned to their former white folk and taught their chil-
dren to do likewise.58
Archival materials, newspapers, and interviews with many people re-
veal that, on the whole, kindly feelings existed between the two races.
The plantations of Texas were not so large that personal relationships
were limited to work and to reaping the benefits of the harvest. Slaves
were known by name not only to the immediate family circle but to dis-
tant. relatives and friends. They were individuals to the planters and
56 Oltorf, Marlin Compound, 185; H. A. Perry to A. C. H., interviews, September, 1927,
July, 1931, September, 1935; Sweeny to A. C. H., interview, September 22, 1935; Wilson to
A. C. H., interviews, July, 1931, September, 1985; Mr. and Mrs. Munson to A. C. H., inter-
view, September, 1927; Mr. and Mrs. Ballinger Mills to A. C. H., interviews, summer, 1935;
Mrs. Perry to A. C. H., interviews, 1922-1952; Laura Stewart to A. C. H., interviews, 19i4-
1942.
57 A. E. Keir Nash, "The Texas Supreme Court and Trial Rights of Blacks, 1845-1860,"
Journal of American History, LVIII (December, 1971) , 622-642.
58 Mr. and Mrs. Collins to A. C. H., interview, September 23, 1935.382
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Periodical.
Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 76, July 1972 - April, 1973, periodical, 1973; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101202/m1/438/: accessed May 6, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.