William Sykes

William Sykes was seventy-eight and held in the State Prison in Raleigh when he was interviewed. His mother, Martha, was enslaved by Joshua Long in Martin County, North Carolina. His father, Henry, was enslaved by Squire Ben Sykes of Gum Neck in Tyrrell County. His brothers and sisters were Henry, Benjamin, Columbus, Hester, Margaret, Lucy, and Susan.

During the war, Union soldiers came through and bought tobacco from his mother at a dollar and a half a pound, paid in paper money. To keep his enslaved people away from the Union army, Squire Sykes marched them west toward the Blue Ridge Mountains, and they camped at the Moore place in Mitchell County.

William remembered his cousin Jane refusing to do the mistress's washing and declaring that she was going to be free. She was beaten until her back bled. He also remembered the patrollers who watched the roads at night, and named one of them, Joe Jones.