Portrait: artist's interpretation. No photograph of Sarah Garner is known.
Sarah Garner
Recorded in Virginia, May 7, 1935
Their Story
The audio of Sarah Garner's interview is of very poor quality, and much of what she said cannot be made out. She appears to say she was born in Tennessee. Her mother, Jula, worked in the house, while Sarah grew up working outdoors. She said she never cooked, washed, or ironed for the white family, but milked cows and worked the fields alongside her two brothers. She said she could do as much farm work as any man, and she described how rows were staked and laid off with handmade plows.
There was no overseer where she lived. She said her master set the work himself and whipped people who did not finish. She was whipped too: at fourteen, when she first went to work, she was given six rows a day, and she was whipped when she could not get them done.
She married at seventeen. Her husband was named Theodore. She said she raised twelve children, nine of whom were still living, and that most of them moved north, to Pennsylvania and New York among other places. She spent time up north and liked it, but she missed gardening and farming and came back home. Archibald A. Hill and Guy S. Lowman recorded her in Virginia, with the date catalogued as May 7, 1935.
The Recordings & Transcripts
Part 1 of 4 Virginia, May 7, 1935
Transcript
Mrs. Sarah GarnerWe didn't have no overseers.
Archibald A. HillNo overseer?
Mrs. Sarah GarnerWe didn't have no overseer. No body [oversee (?)] us.
Archibald A. HillThey must have known you were doing good work.
Mrs. Sarah GarnerYes, sir. What?
Archibald A. HillThey must have known you were doing good work.
Mrs. Sarah GarnerYeah sure, very. He needs ??? to do what he told us.
Archibald A. Hill???
Mrs. Sarah GarnerThat's ??? . Yes, indeed. If he told us to do [while (?)] he knew he moved fast and not to do it because if you didn't do he was at liberty to whip us, and ???
Archibald A. HillDid he ever whip anyone?
Mrs. Sarah GarnerYeah, he whipped ???
Archibald A. HillHe didn't whip you did he?
Mrs. Sarah GarnerYes, he did.
Archibald A. HillWhy?
Mrs. Sarah GarnerYes, he whipped me too.
Archibald A. HillWhat did he do?
Mrs. Sarah GarnerWhen I was young. And, um, when I first went to work and, um, he would pass me ??? You know one thing, there was ??? rows and ??? six rows from the end of that house out yonder ??? six rows of them for me to work a day, but I was just fourteen years old ??? a day. I had to work, you know, ??? and wait ??? If I couldn't get that path done he ??? . If I couldn't get it done why he whop me.
Archibald A. HillDid you like being whipped?
Mrs. Sarah GarnerDid I like—
Archibald A. HillYeah.
Mrs. Sarah Garner??? No. He ???
Archibald A. Hill???
Mrs. Sarah GarnerNo. I didn't like it no whipping. I ??? the best I could as hard as I could ??? Many days ???
Archibald A. HillWhere were you born?
Mrs. Sarah GarnerI was born ??? Tennessee. ??? . ??? . ??? .
Archibald A. HillWhere was your mother born?
Mrs. Sarah GarnerMy mother was born here?
Archibald A. HillWhat was her name?
Mrs. Sarah GarnerJula. My mother's name was Jula.
Archibald A. Hill[Julafer (?)]?
Mrs. Sarah GarnerJula. [burp-like sound] I didn't know what her name was. Yeah, I do too know what her name was. Her name was Jula [Wynn (?)]. [loud gurgling sound] Jula [Wynn (?)], and she married a man by the name of [Brian Gaskin (?)]. That made me a [Gaskin (?)] before I married ??? [burp, burp]
Archibald A. HillWhat's your husband's name?
Mrs. Sarah GarnerTheodore.
Archibald A. Hill??? ing?
Mrs. Sarah GarnerYeah.
Archibald A. HillHe born here?
Mrs. Sarah GarnerYeah. He was born here. He was born down in [Blackground (?)]. ??? . Down in [Blackground (?)]. Mr. ??? bought him and brought him over here. ??? [burp-like sound] He bought him first and he was eight years old and then ??? the people they brought him first ??? his mother. If they ever want to sell his mother. If they ever want to sell his mother ??? After he bought Henry he want to sell his mother. ??? . ??? .
Archibald A. HillMighty hard for a eighteen year old boy to be sold away from home.
Sarah GarnerHuhh?
Archibald A. HillMighty hard for a eighteen year old to be sold away from home.
Mrs. Sarah GarnerThat's what makes it all for them to ??? boys, girls and everything. They got ??? They just ??? I think, I think they got ??? seen a man take his [cane (?)] ??? seen him carry his ??? with his stick ???
END OF SIDE A
Part 2 of 4 Virginia, May 7, 1935
Captions open at the bottom of the screen when you press play. Click any transcript line to jump to it.
Transcript
NoteThe audio recording from which this transcript was based is of very poor quality.
[long silence and indistinct conversation before interview begins]
Archibald A. HillTell me, how did they use to plant the farm in those days?
Mrs. Sarah GarnerHuhh?
Archibald A. HillHow did they use to plant the farm in those days?
Mrs. Sarah GarnerThey had to plant the farm for ??? use pick, when I was a child. ??? have to [pick it off with my feet (?)] before I would have to pick. ??? [Mrs. Garner's voice fades out]
Archibald A. HillHow far apart did they put the rows? [something drops and Guy S. Lowman (?) assures Mrs. Garner that it's okay]
[Guy S. Lowman (?)]: That's all right we can understand [it (?)]. That's all right.
Mrs. Sarah Garner??? How many rows ??? [when it snows (?)] we had ??? and some would be ??? away. And the cost ??? that a way then he came back and he went this a way ??? and that's the way he ??? [burp-like sound]
Archibald A. HillHow did you work it? Did you work it all by hand?
Mrs. Sarah GarnerNo, Sir. [They had little (?)] plows [up there (?)].
Archibald A. Hill???
Mrs. Sarah GarnerYes, they did. I work fast. [burp-like sound] I could do as much of it as any man.
Archibald A. HillAhha.
Mrs. Sarah GarnerI couldn't run the rows off. What you call running off like ??? running like cross ways. You have to stake it. You know, to stake. Laid off that a way and then you split out. Split that row in two. [And do it (?)] this a way. Laid off this way. That's [cross (?)] way. ??? You just split that row right [just as the plow open that row (?)] ??? and keep it up. Sometimes they didn't keep up with the horses ??? didn't keep up with the horses ??? They ??? comes and ???
Archibald A. Hill[How many plows (?)] did they have in those days?
Mrs. Sarah GarnerThey [had many plows (?)]?
Archibald A. HillDid they have [the big plows (?)] like they got now?
Mrs. Sarah GarnerYes. They have plows like they have now. [cough] Like I said, they had so many ofthem. I don't know how many they had. My master had mostly the one plow but now a whole ??? had plows made, by, at the shop. [burp-like sound] Plow handmade by, at the shop. [burp-like sound] They plowed all the land with that. [burp-like sound] Everything. But then they have the know-how. [And (?)] I remember ??? before I ??? That was a big plow. That was made by hand. ???
END OF SIDE B
Part 3 of 4 Virginia, May 7, 1935
Transcript
Mrs. Sarah GarnerI raised twelve. [burp-like sound] I have nine of them now. [Got a (?)] child I have them raised as a ??? . And then my ??? one [jingling bell] when [he got (?)] old enough [to care for himself (?)] [jingling bell] him went up. My son went up. Then I moved away from them nearly four years afterwards. I had three sons. ??? [I had a (?)] ??? son. When my son died when I come here.
Unidentified WomanHave children? [her voice very faint]
Mrs. Sarah Garner[burp-like sound] ???
Unidentified WomanSay that again.
Mrs. Sarah Garner??? [the preceeding passage could be that of another woman] yeah.
Archibald A. HillHow'd the children turn out?
Mrs. Sarah GarnerHuhh?
Archibald A. HillHow'd the children turn out? All good children?
Mrs. Sarah GarnerYes. They [treat (?)] you they do things every, ??? I have never heard of a woman ??? no, I have never heard of ??? from doing things to this child. Never in my life. My [burp-like sound] daughters all got children and that was not my way [particularly (?)]. [For my children I would do anything (?)]. They all ??? growed up and got big enough to go ??? me as a child. Then that mean they no longer as a child. And that—
Archibald A. HillWhat was that ??? ?
Mrs. Sarah GarnerMost of them all [went (?)] North.
Archibald A. HillOh.
Mrs. Sarah GarnerNorth. Some is in Pennsylvania and some [Philadelphia (?)] and some in Virginia. And one them lives in New York, my youngest child lives in New York. The youngest one that's living. But the youngest one is dead, but he was married before he died. I thought ???
Unidentified Woman???
Mrs. Sarah GarnerI believe when ??? could know that they are in God's hands [that it is really good. What God want (?)]. And they [get grown (?)] enough and old enough. They all left on their way. Go their way. All of them are living. ??? he died. ???
Archibald A. Hill??? come back to see. ???
Mrs. Sarah GarnerSome of the folks sometimes. [One of them been here (?)] ??? is the one here and he here how [long (?)] he been here? I thinking, maybe six, [been (?)] six years I think. He been here just before his father died. ??? was it ???
Archibald A. Hill???
Mrs. Sarah GarnerYes. I've, ??? I've been okay.
Archibald A. Hill???
Mrs. Sarah GarnerOh, yes I have.
Archibald A. Hill[You been up North (?)]?
Mrs. Sarah GarnerOooh! I don't know if ??? died.
Archibald A. HillHow'd you like it up there?
Mrs. Sarah GarnerI liked it very much up there until I began to think about gardening and farming like [trucking (?)] like I used to do here. Why I wanted to come back home where I'm come from, here ??? He come down here and bring [papa (?)] ??? and then [papa (?)] ??? died; then which ever one was the oldest ??? we liked to come live with me.
Archibald A. HillMhmm.
Mrs. Sarah GarnerAnd so the old man [died (?)] on me. He knew he was going to die, he didn't want to ??? He stayed there, Robert brought him from New York. Robert wanted him to come. Why he wanted him to come. I was going to the ??? If I didn't like it I stayed ??? if I liked it. If I do like it he stayed there. I would come back home. And Robert [told him (?)] ???
END OF SIDE A
Part 4 of 4 Virginia, May 7, 1935
Captions open at the bottom of the screen when you press play. Click any transcript line to jump to it.
Transcript
[indistinct conversation]
Mrs. Sarah Garner??? [master (?)] had the same thing.
Guy S. Lowman??? [Not feeling so good today (?)]?
Mrs. Sarah Garner??? [I didn't want to do it (?)] ??? [I never got to do it (?)]. [burp-like sound] ??? [burp-like sound] He didn't want me to do it. [burp-like sound]
Guy S. LowmanI just want to talk to you [burp-like sound] about it. Tell me about the [whole thing (?)].
Mrs. Sarah GarnerWell, I didn't want to ??? as much as I [knew (?)] it the first time ??? I would ??? I would ???
Guy S. LowmanYou talked to me before, this is professor Hill you're talking to you now. [Guy S. Lowman and Mrs. Sarah Garner overlap]
Mrs. Sarah GarnerAs [burp-like sound] you wanted to know something about old times back ???
Archibald A. HillThat's right.
Mrs. Sarah GarnerI would like to ??? —
Archibald A. Hill???
Mrs. Sarah Garner—tell him about how I was [whipped (?)] and how I was raised. [laughter] ??? I was no house person. My mother was [born in (?)] the house. I was born on a farm. I was a farmer. I would do anything ??? . I would do anything that the man would do, come and go. I never had to cook none. I never had to wash and iron none for them, for the white people. While I was [working (?)] from the day I was born until the day I left. I was raised as a child. Started to be raised by a ??? . When my mother raised me I didn't, and my mother want to ??? good and when she got old enough she got married. But still, she was [raised to be strong (?)]. But well I say I [think to be strong (?)]. Because my mother raised me here. And mother done the housework. And I done the outside.
Archibald A. HillYou did?
Mrs. Sarah GarnerYes. I never cooked none ??? [to them (?)]. I done nothing but milked the cows and [hauled out my flowers (?)] from the field—
Archibald A. Hill??? [inaudible comment]
Mrs. Sarah Garner—when I was big enough to do it. [From the time I was born (?)] ??? My brothers ??? . [I had two of them (?)]. ???
Archibald A. Hill???
Mrs. Sarah Garner—with me in the fields.
Archibald A. HillAhha.
Mrs. Sarah GarnerOne was a little boy. The other was a little child as big as I ??? in the field ???
Archibald A. Hill???
Mrs. Sarah GarnerAnd ???
Archibald A. HillHuhh?
Mrs. Sarah GarnerI was seventeen years old. ??? My ah ???
Archibald A. Hill???
Mrs. Sarah Garner[burp-like sound followed by laughter]
[Guy S. Lowman (?)]: You must talk a little louder now we want to hear all about it.
Mrs. Sarah Garner[giggling and laughter continued] I was seventeen years old. I was stupid then. When I was seventeen years old and so much younger ??? and I ??? after awhile [they come to know (?)] why he asked my master ??? was [I married (?)]. I wasn't but seventeen years old. [burp-like sound]
Guy S. LowmanIt worked out pretty well.
Mrs. Sarah GarnerI didn't know what I was doing but, however, until I was married. I was eighteen years old a day and a month ??? after I was married.
END OF SIDE B
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Recorded by Archibald A. Hill and Guy S. Lowman, Virginia, May 7, 1935? From Voices Remembering Slavery: Freed People Tell Their Stories. Bracketed notes and question marks in the transcripts mark sounds or words that are hard to hear.