N. C. District No. 2 Subject LIZZIE BAKER
Worker T. Pat Matthews"
State: North Carolina Interviewee: Baker, Lizzie
"I was born de las' year o' de surrender an 'course I don't remember seein' any Yankee soldiers,
but I knows a plenty my mother and father tole me. I have neuritus, an' have been unable to
work any fer a year and far seven years I couldn't do much.
State: North Carolina Interviewee: Baker, Lizzie
"My mother wus named Teeny McIntire and my father William McIntire. Mammy belonged to
Bryant Newkirk in Duplin County. Pap belonged to someone else, I don't know who.
State: North Carolina Interviewee: Baker, Lizzie
"Dey said dey worked from light till dark, and pap said dey beat him so bad he run away a
lot o' times. Dey said de paterollers come to whare dey wus havin' prayer meetin' and beat 'em.
State: North Carolina Interviewee: Baker, Lizzie
"Mammy said sometimes dey were fed well and others dey 'most starved. Dey got biscuit
once a week on Sunday. Dey said dey went to de white folks's church. Dey said de preachers
tole 'em dey had to obey dere missus and marster. My mammy said she didn't go to no dances
'cause she wus crippled. Some o' de help, a colored woman, stole something when she wus
hongry. She put it off on mother and missus made mother wear trousers for a year to punish
her.
State: North Carolina Interviewee: Baker, Lizzie
"Mammy said dey gave de slaves on de plantation one day Christmas and dat New Years wus
when dey sold 'em an' hired 'em out. All de slaves wus scared 'cause dey didn't know who
would have to go off to be. sold or to work in a strange place. Pap tole me 'bout livin' in de
woods and 'bout dey ketchin' him. I'member his owner's name den, it wus Stanley. He run away
so bad dey sold him several times. Pap said one time dey caught him and nearly beat him to
death, and jest as soon as he ye well and got a good chance he ran away again.
State: North Carolina Interviewee: Baker, Lizzie
"Mammy said when de Yankees come through she wus 'fraid of 'em. De Yankees tole her not
to be 'fraid of 'em. Dey say to her, 'Do dey treat you right', Mammy said 'Yes sir', 'cause ole
missus wus standin' dere, an' she wus 'fraid not to say yes. Atter de war, de fust year atter de
surrender dey moved to James Alderman's place in Duplin County and stayed dere till I wus a
grown gal.
State: North Carolina Interviewee: Baker, Lizzie
"Den we moved to Goldsboro. Father wus a carpenter and he got a lot of dat work. Dat's what
he done in Goldsboro. We come from Goldsboro to Raleigh and we have lived here every since.
We moved here about de year o' de shake and my mother died right here in Raleigh de year o'
de shake. Some of de things mother tole me 'bout slavery has gone right out of my min'. Jes
comes and goes.
State: North Carolina Interviewee: Baker, Lizzie
"I remember pap tellin' me 'bout stretchin' vines acrost roads and paths to knock de patterollers
off deir horses when dey were tryin' to ketch slaves. Pap and mammy tole me marster and
missus did not 'low any of de slaves to have a book in deir house. Dat if dey caught a slave wid
a book in deir house dey whupped 'em. Dey were keerful not to let 'em learn readin' and writin'.
State: North Carolina Interviewee: Baker, Lizzie
"Dey sold my sister Lucy and my brother Fred in slavery tine, an' I have never seen 'em in my
life. Mother would cry when she was tellin' me 'bout it. She never seen 'em anymore. I jes'
couldn't bear to hear her tell it widout cryin'. Dey were carried to Richmond, an' sold by old
marster when dey were chillun.
State: North Carolina Interviewee: Baker, Lizzie
"We tried to get some news of brother and sister. Mother kept 'quiring 'bout 'em as long as she
lived and I have hoped dat I could hear from 'em. Dey are dead long ago I recons, and I guess
dare aint no use ever expectin' to see 'em. Slavery wus bad and Mr. Lincoln did a good thing
when he freed de niggers. I caint express my love for Roosevelt. He has saved so many lives.
I think he has saved mine. I want to see him face to face. I purely love him and I feel I could do
better to see him and tell him so face to face.