James Green
By: Thomas Strefelt and Justin Huther
James Green
James Green is half American Indian and half Negro. He was born a slave to John Williams, of Petersburg, Va., became a "free boy", then was kidnapped and sold in a Virginia slave market to a Texas ranchman. He now lives at 323 N. Olive St., San Antonio, Texas.
He says:
"I never knowed my age till after de war, when I's set free de second time, and then marster gits out a big book and it shows I's 25 year old. It shows I's 12 when I is bought and $800 is paid for me. That $800 was stolen money, 'cause I was kidnapped.
His life
James Green had a harsh life. He was treated like trash up until the first time he was freed. After he was freed, he was kidnapped and sold again as a slave. To represent how he was treated, he gave this song:
Old marster eats beef and sucks on de bone,
And give us de gristle—
To make, to make, to make, to make,
Old marster eats beef and sucks on de bone,
And give us de gristle—
To make, to make, to make, to make,
To make de slave whistle
He shows how he was treated with this song, because it says how the Master gets everything good, and the slaves get nothing.
More facts
Here are a couple more facts about James:
He was married 3 times
He was only "Freed" because the civil war ended
He was freed then kidnapped twice
Think about how you would feel if you had to live like him. Be grateful you can live the happy life you can, because they couldn't.