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                              CLEVELAND


File                                                       District #4
Copied                                                     Cuyahoga County
12-1-41                                                    Racial Groups
A.H.

                              Clark Heard
                      Ex-Slave           86 years


     Although born in August, 1851, Clark Heard insists he was but nine

years old at the close of the Civil War.

     While he puffed on a villainous pipe, he was persuaded at length to

give to posterity the following facts of his slavehood:

    "I was born in August, 1851, on a 300-acre plantation in Troup County,

Georgia. De plantation was five mile from Wes' Point an' jes' twelve mile

from La Grange -- dat's de county seat of Troup County.

      My father was Amos Heard, born in Charleston, South Carolina. Don'

know what my mother, Delilah, was born -- somewhar in Virginny.

     Dar was seven of us boys and one gal, Katie Saphonia -- or Saphonia

Katie -- it's jes' a same either way.

     Oldes' boy was Hardy; nex', George Washington; nex', Whit -- don't know

if it was Whitman or not, we jes' call 'im Whit; nex', myself, Clark; nex',

Pascall; nex', Edgah; nex', Willis.

      De Marzer was Jesse Palmer, an' he shuh was good to all us colored folk.

 I never worked until Surrender.  Yes. Surrender.  Yo' know, don' yo', dat's

what dey call it wen dey was freed. I never worked while on Marse Jesse's

 place 'cause he didn' work his boys until dey'd nine, an' I was jes' nine at

 Surrender.

      My gran'father was Henry Heard. He wasn't a real slave. He was a stage

 driver.  You know what a stage be?  Oh yes, every plantation had one -- some




			

Works Progress Administration (WPA) Ex-Slave Narratives

Clark Heard, Ex-Slave Narrative