Anonymous - The memoirs of Dolly Morton

As a matter of course there was a great deal of poking. However, no notice was taken of what slaves did among themselves at night, so long as they were present the next morning when roll was called by the overseers.

The slaves soon got to know me well, and, since I took an interest in them and often was able to do them little kindnesses, they all became fond of me. I liked these poor, good-natured creatures who were always lighthearted except when they happened to be smarting from a whipping.

Although I often had seen the marks of the lash on the bodies of the runaways who had passed through our station, I hitherto had never seen a slave whipped Dinah, in her capacity of housekeeper, maintained strict discipline, so she often brought one of the women or one of the girls before Randolph for neglecting her work or some other offense, and sometimes he himself gave the offender a whipping on her bottom with the switch. I occasionally had heard the squeaks of a culprit, but I always had avoided being present at the punishment.

Whipping a girl seemed to have an exciting effect on Randolph, for, after switching one, he invariably used to come to me, wherever I happened to be, and poke me with great vigor. I thought it strange at the time, but I since have found out that men’s passions are inflamed by whipping the bottom of a female until she cries and writhes with pain, and, if they can’t do it themselves, they like seeing it done. This is a curious, but undoubted fact, and it shows what cruel creatures men are.

I have already mentioned that an octoroon girl named Rosa had been appointed to act as my maid. This girl formerly had been Randolph’s favorite, but, since my arrival at Woodlands, he had had nothing to do with her. When Rosa found that she was entirely neglected and that she was obliged to serve as my maid, she had been filled with bitter resentment. In fact, the girl was bitterly jealous.

She had shown her vexation from the first, by constant sullenness, and at times she was very impertinent to me. But I had borne with her ill temper and had always been kind to her, trying to make her like me, for I pitied her and all the other slave girls. However, nothing which I could do had any effect in softening the girl; she continued to be sulky and disrespectful, though I had managed to make all the other women and girls fond of me.

I knew that if I reported Rosa to Randolph he would have punished her, but, since I did not wish to get her into trouble, I did not say a word. Rosa was twenty years of age, tall, handsome and not darker than an ordinary brunette, her complexion being a clear olive with a tinge of pink showing on her cheeks. She had a well-rounded figure, with full bust and broad hips. Her feet were small and her hands were smooth, for she never had done any hard work.

She had a profusion of long, wavy, dark brown hair. Her eyes also were brown, large, and soft. She had white, regular teeth and full, red, moist lips. Her voice was low and musical, but she was perfectly uneducated, not being able either to read or to write, and she spoke in the usual nigger way.

One morning when she was helping me dress, she appeared to be in worse temper than usual, and, while brushing my hair, pulled it so roughly that I several times had to tell her to be more careful. I spoke gently, but my remonstrances seemed only to irritate her.

Tossing her head and giving my hair a nasty pull, she said in a most saucy way: I oughtened to be brushin yo’ hair at all. Becos you is white, you tinks you is a very fine lady but you is not a bit better dan me. You isn’t married to de Massa, yet you sleeps wid him every night.

I flushed with anger. Rising from my seat, I ordered the girl to leave the room. She did so, laughing.

The tears came into my eyes. My heart swelled and I felt a deep sense of degradation. It was humiliating that, owing to a series of misfortunes, I should have come to be spoken to in such a coarse way by a slave girl. But, alas! What she had said was the truth. I really was no better than she. After a moment or two, I put up my hair, finished dressing and went down to breakfast. I had not intended to say anything to Randolph, but he noticed that I was depressed and asked me what was the matter. Oh, nothing much, I replied. Rosa has been a little impertinent to me. Not being satisfied with my answer, he insisted on knowing what the girl had said to me. Unable to contain my hurt any longer, I told him exactly what had occurred, adding that Rosa had always been more or less impertinent to me, and I suggested that, if he spoke to her, she probably would be more respectful to me in the future.

I will speak to her presently, he said. Then he went on quietly with his breakfast. I thought no more of the affair, and, when the meal was over, we left the room and went into an adjoining apartment, where I amused myself reading the newspaper while Randolph smoked his cigar.

When he had finished, he rang the bell, which was answered by one of the parlormaids, Jane.

Go tell Dinah and Rosa that I want them here, then come back yourself, he said to the girl.

She went away, returning in about five minutes accompanied by the other two women.

Randolph rose from his seat with a stern expression on his face and, turning to Rosa, who was looking rather frightened, said angrily:

You young hussy! I have been hearing about your conduct. How dare you speak to your mistress like that? Did you think I would let you insult a white lady? You are getting too saucy, but I will take the sauce out of you. I am going to whip you.

Rosa turned as pale as her olive complexion would allow. A frightened expression came into her eyes and she burst into tears.

Oh! Massa! she exclaimed. Don’t whip me! Oh! Please don’t whip me! I’se very sorry I was sassy to de Missis. Oh! Do let me off an’ I will be a good gal and never be sassy again. Then turning to me she said imploringly: Oh! Missus. Forgive me, an’ ask de Massa not to whip me dis time.

I did not want the girl to be whipped, so I asked Randolph to let her go away, saying that I was sure that she was sorry for what she had said and that I did not think she would offend again. But her master was very angry with her and would not consent to let her off. Turning to Dinah, he said curtly: Take her up.

I had no idea what was meant by the words, but Dinah knew what to do. She often had taken up naughty slave girls on her broad, strong back. Going up to Rosa, she seized her by the wrists, and, turning round, drew the girl’s arms over her shoulders Then, bending well forward, she raised the culprit’s feet off the floor so that her body was brought into a curved position.

Not wishing to see the punishment inflicted, I walked towards the door. But Randolph peremptorily ordered me to remain in the room. Turn up her clothes, Jane, and, mind you, hold them well out of the way, he said.

Jane went to the right side of the delinquent, and, rolling up her skirt, petticoats and chemise, held them high above her waist. The girl’s underlinen was perfectly clean, but she wore no drawers-none of the slave women possessed drawers. She had a fine, big, well-shaped bottom and, owing to the curved position in which she was being held, the large, plump round cheeks swelled out in high relief at a most convenient angle for receiving the switch.

Her olive-tinted skin was perfectly smooth, her thighs were large and well-rounded, her legs were shapely and her ankles were trim. She was wearing white stockings, gartered with bows of blue ribbon, and she had on neat shoes.

Randolph went to a cabinet from which he took a hickory switch-he kept a switch in nearly every room — then, placing himself at the left side of the culprit, said: Now, I’ll teach you to respect your mistress. I have not whipped you for some time, but I’m going to make your bottom smart now.