Sally Ashton (b. ca. 1845)
Keswick, Va.
Interviewer: Susie R. C. Byrd
Date of Interview: Unknown
Source: Negro in Virginia, published version, p. 91
[Sally Ashton says that her owner, Charles Hancock, didn’t mind if his slaves danced all night Saturdays.]
We use to git back in de end cabin an’ sing an’ dance by de fiddle till day break. Sho’ had one time, swingin’ dem one piece dresses back an’ forth, an’ de boys crackin’ dey coat-tails in de wind. Nobody never bothered us, not even de patterollers, cause Marsa won’t gwine let ‘em. Ole fiddler was a man named Louis Cane. Chile, he sho’ could strung dat fiddle. Never did do much work, but Marsa use to keep him, ‘cause he use to have him play fo’ de balls in de big house. Marse use to pay him too. We never did pay him, ‘cause we ain’t never had nothin’. But he use to play an’ call de figgers ‘long as dere was anyone on de floor. Chile, when I was a girl guess I’d ruther dance dan eat.
