- Afternoon (chuckles). I'm Caroline. Caroline Branham. It's nice to make your acquaintance. I happen to be setting myself aside getting some stitching and some of my sewing done. I'm a chambermaid here at Mount Vernon, under Mrs. Washington, that is. I'm a Custis dowry slave. I take care of the needs of the family, visitors, and guests in that great, big
mansion house out there. 21 rooms, 10 bed chambers
alone, so that's an awful lot of work that has to be done. I start most days around
and about four of the clock, around that time that
the cocks start to crow, go inside the house by way of the kitchen, taking heated water with me upstairs and pouring inside the washstand basins, assist Mrs. Washington with her dressing and grooming needs for the day. I clean and empty out the chamber pots, always making sure to leave
a touch of water in them, to help stave off odors. I'm the person that lights the
fires for Master Washington in the morning, yes, I do. He likes to rise at five of the clock. He is a very timely man, He does not abide by tardiness. That's a lesson you only
need to learn one time, if you get my meaning. I make the beds, change
the linens as necessary. At seven of the clock we do have our breaking of the fast. Oh (laughs), our assistance
in serving and cleaning up. As of late, Master
Washington's taking to eating mush cakes (laughs), cornmeal mush cakes is slave
food for the most part, but he changes the name of them, he calls the hoecakes, and eats 'em all fancy
like with honey and butter. Boy, he does enjoy those (chuckles)! I clean up there afterwards,
always paying special attention to napkins and tablecloths, making sure everything is
clean and in good repair for the next meal's
use, and then I go about sweeping, polishing, the mopping, dusting throughout their
very large household. Some days they say to me, "Caroline, turn all the mattresses." The other day, he says, "Caroline,
blacken the fireplaces," but most every day, I'll have you to know, I polish that hand railing
there from top to bottom. They use beeswax. Once I finish with those assignments, I'm also a skilled sewer,
as you may have guessed. I'm responsible for making clothes for the slaves on this farm, as well as the other four farms. Master Washington has five
altogether, 8,000 acres. He's quite wealthy, yes. And you live wherever it is that you work. I work right her in Mansion House Farm, so I live right here
on Mansion House Farm. Master Washington says that a man ought to be to work by the time
the sun is warming the earth. And he follows after that
very command and rule in that most mornings he
is up by five of the clock, and shortly after, breaking the fast, and he's attending to his studies, and well whatever he needs to do, too. He goes out and visits
all five of the farms, so he's often not here very much like my beloved Peter (laughs), who's often not here,
but that's all right. That's all right. Come nightfall he does
come back and visit. Have you heard of Peter? Peter Hardiman? He's Master Washington's
prized groomsman and a breeder. To date, he has bred
for Master Washington, 20 and five horses. 20 and five, mind you! So Master Washington's
right well pleased with him. Now he lets him go about
from all of the farms, attending to all the horses,
donkeys, and mules, and such. Yes, yes, my beloved. Come nightfall he does come
and rest his head beside mine, and that day is a grace
I don't count lightly. Being as most of the slaves around here, if you are situated
with a husband or wife, you are separated
throughout the work week. Very few of us get an
opportunity to spend our time all week with our
beloveds and our children, and that is how my life
seems to be around here. And you seem to have caught
me at a moment's of peace. Yes, I know, I'm supposed to be working on my stitching assignments for all the Washingtons and such. I'm required to make
nine articles of clothing each and every week. I'm presently supposed
to be working on shirts in preparation for our ration
of clothing we receive. We get ourselves a ration of clothing. Yeah, one set of clothing
for the spring, summer months of linen, a lot of fabrics,
and heavier things of wool for the winter months, and a
pair of shoes and a blanket to keep us nice and warm, unless we give birth to a child, and then we get another blanket
and a bottle of whiskey. Oh, which is always well needed, yes. But it's my life here, but I'm presently working
on a quilted blanket for my daughter, Rachel, for
her natal day approaching. (laughs) Yes, it's taken
me a great amount of time to collect all of this
fabric, and on occasion, when I'm given written permission, I go into Alexandria town and get myself some fabric from the rag
picks and such up there. I'm assembling it into
a nice, colorful quilt just for her so when she receives her
work assignment this year, she will have her very own special thing that she shall always cherish, I hope. It's the least I can give her, being that nothing else
is much promise to me. Oh, do you seem to have
any curiosities or queries that I could be of assistance with? Please forgive me. I have a tendency to speak on and on whenever I have an opportunity. - [Interviewer] We do
have a few questions. Thank you, Caroline. We have a question from
Rachael in New York. She would like to know
if you know how to read, and if you get Christmas presents? - Oh, well in this present year 1798, right here in Virginia,
there is no slave code, no law that says we are not permitted to know how to read, nor to write. As a matter of fact, there is an Alexandria Abolitionist Society founded by a group of Quakers up there, and they're willing to teach most anybody to learn how to read and
lie, uh, read and write. Slave, common folk alike. See, most Virginians are illiterate, not saying that most
Virginians are not wise people, it's just that most
Virginians are farmers. And in order to be a
farmer, you don't need to have book learning (laughs). You know to plant a seed in the ground, tend to it, and it does bear
forth a crop in due time, so reading, and writing,
and math skills, and such are given to those that might require them for whatever labor is assigned to them. I, myself, I've learned
how to read a little bit, from the Bible. Caesar, he's our preacher
man down there on Dogue Run Farm, he will
teach most anybody that wants to, to read from the Bible, and being that Mrs.
Washington is constantly taking an hour to devotions
each and every morning, I'm forever hearing her reciting
scripture after scripture. One of her favorite scriptures is, I have learned whatsoever state I am in, therewith to be content. Hmm, it's quite easy for her to be content when I'm the one doing all the work to make her content (laughs). Still and all, I had Caesar show it to me, where it was in the Bible, and I'm learning my scriptures as well, and learning how to read along with it. And I suppose the other
query about whether or not I receive Christmas presents, Christmastide is the
season where we receive our ration of clothing, and
we might get some extra food stuffs, but as far as
them being a gift set aside, I think of it more as a
responsibility, a duty owed to Master Washington
being that he is to care for us as property. Well thank you for your
query, Miss Rachael, all the way from New York. - [Interviewer] Thank you, Caroline. Amy would like to know
what your living quarters are like here at Mount Vernon? - Oh, Amy has a query
concerning my living situation and my quarters and such. I'm always to instruct visitors and guests wishing to see the quarters
of the slaves that are here, to go and to look at the deceptively large and impressive slave
quarters with are attached to this building nearby. They're on the opposite
side of the greenhouse. I like to say that our slave quarters, and our situation around
here is very much like a grand tapestry to where on one side you see the most beautiful portrait that you ever could imagine,
with all of the colors and details perfectly
outlined and filled in, but on the other side of
that beautiful tapestry, are knots, and mats, and cuts, and tears. But were it were not
for the cuts, and knots, and mats, and tears, you wouldn't
have the beautiful design, so often times people
come by here and they see the beautiful slave quarters
that are made out of brick, and they say, "Well, look at this. "This is a nice place Master
Washington has set up here "for his slaves, so he must
be very good to his slaves." I find odd (laughs) in
the use of the word good and slave mentioned in the
same breath, but still and all, some slaves are required to stay there, and that is because you are
required to live where you work. It makes good business
sense in that some slaves, and still and all, they are separated from their
families for the work week. The women stay at one end of the barracks, and the men at the other
end of the barracks, and they are required to
sleep several to a bed, and some that do not have beds sleep upon a mean pallet on the floor. Still, in all, people might
say this is right nice compared to most common Virginians. To those people I say,
a cage is still a cage no matter what it is made out of. I, myself, am one of the
few blessed, if you wish, to stay in a cabin nearby. They are kept out of the sight of the visitors and such. Remember that grand tapestry,
as they are considered poorly constructed and
badly in need of repair. I stay there with my beloved Peter and all six of my beautiful children. Four girls and two boys, I do have. I'm quite blessed in that. And that is how we live up
here on Mansion House Farm. And other farms also have
small cabins as well. They do not have slave quarters
such as we have up here. - [Interviewer] Thank you, Caroline. So Chris would like to
know if you have any family that works at the
distillery, or maybe at any of the other farms, as well? - I do not know if I
have any family outside of Mount Vernon but I know
that I don't have any other family that works on any of
the other farm properties, such as the distillery or the grist mill. I do, however, know that
everybody does come together come fishing season,
which is fast approaching, and we all go down to one
of three of the fisheries that Master Washington has
alongside of the properties. And we all gather together
there, and everybody has put their hands to
labor and catching the fish, and making of the nets, and cleaning, and gutting, and salting of the fish, which is part of our food
rations that we receive here, salted fish and cornmeal, and
I consider most everybody, every person of color,
no matter what property they are on, we're all family. So in one sense, yes,
I have family that work in all of the outlying properties, and in another sense, no, I have no family that work in the outlying properties. - [Interviewer] Thank you. And Jess would like to know, do you ever get to interact or converse
with the famous guests who come to visit the Washintons? - Do I get an opportunity to converse and interact with
the visitors and the guests? Why, yes, I most certainly do. But for me to sit and have
a conversation with them is not part of my instruction
for the most part. Today is an exceptional day,
in that Master Washington, after breaking the fast,
said, "Go outdoors, Caroline. "Bring greetings to my guests, "answer curiosities and queries
in my absence, Caroline." And I'm doing as Mrs.
Washington always said. She says, "Conversation like
everything requires practice." So I try to practice
conversation at all times, but very often times my
entering into conversation is a little, um, awkward
(laughs), if you wish to call it. I do, however, have most favorite visitors that have ever come here
before and amongst them would not be a dignity such
as you might have thought, but a small girl, seven years of age, who was my most favorite visitor and guest that ever did come here, simply because she saw
everything as brand new. She had never seen such
wealth and luxury as was here. And I believe that she truly appreciated all of my care given to her, a sweet, young child, Hannah Taylor, did come here by means
of accident altogether, fell asleep in a carriage
while it was receiving some repairs in Alexandria town. Dear, sweet child. I bet if you inquire of her today of her visit here to Mount
Vernon, she will most surely say that Caroline took good care of me, which I try to do with all
my visitors and guests. But thank you for your query. - [Interviewer] Jennifer is
wondering what is your hope for your six children
as they become adults? - My hope for my six children
as they do become adults? I wish for them to lead
a life much different than the one that I do lead. Presently, there is this
preacher man, John Wesley, that has said liberty is the right of every human creature
from the first time that it takes its first vital breath, and no man-made law
can deprive him of that which he so freely receives
from the laws of nature. I just wish for my children to be free. I care less about myself,
but if my children can escape this world
of bondage of slavery, would mean the world to me, and I will gladly sacrifice myself for any chance that my children
would receive that freedom. Thank you for asking that query, as sensitive as it might be. - [Interviewer] Thank you, Caroline. Vicky is wondering if
you ever have time off where you're free to
do what you would like? - Oh, goodness gracious.
Vicky, do I receive time off where I'm free to do as I'd like? Even the time off that I do receive, or most slaves receive is
within structure or limitations. If we are to go about from farm
to farm visiting our family, our kinfolk, or if even we
are to go to Alexandria town, we are to receive written
permission that says we have permission to leave the property, and we are about on such or
so other business and such. We are always being required
to give accountability as to our whereabouts. Small moments that I steal
to myself to work upon this quilted blanket, or to
go down and visit the cemetery are stolen moments, and they
are quite precious to me. In my standards, there is
no such thing as time away or time off. Time does come at a cost to everyone, it's just how much you're willing
to pay for that time away. - [Interviewer] Regina is wondering if you ever get to retire? (Caroline laughing) Speaking of time off. - Yes, there are slaves that
are retired from the labor, so to speak. Meaning that there is
very few things that they can do for the master or mistress that will be of much
benefit to them (laughs). Having said that, there are laws in place that do state, upon a slave's retirement, or no longer being able to work, if they're too sick to
work, too weak to work, too old to work, that
they are still required to do other things such
as knitting and sewing, if their bodies would
allow them to do as such, and then they are still
required by the person that does own them to
be given rations of food and clothing until their death, and this even is set
into law in accordance with the manumission
laws that state that even if they receive their
freedom, their manumission from their time here on this earth, that they are required,
they are to be given a ration of food, clothing, shelter until they do go into
the earth such as it is. But thank you for inquiring about that. I don't see me living
long enough to retire in the manner in which you speak of. - [Interviewer] We have
a question from Elizabeth wondering what your favorite meal is, or maybe what you eat here? - Oh, my favorite meals (laughs). Goodness gracious, let's see. Oh, it is quite simple. I like to make kush for
my children, kush-kush. It's like a cornmeal hash. We are given a ration of
salted fish, cornmeal, and very often I might turn
that into hoecakes or cornbread, and the likes. If you have extra of
that particular portion, you can take and throw in some onions and some peppers, some
seasonings, and what have you. Stir it all up there in the skillet and it makes a really nice cornbread hash, which we like to call kush-kush, or kush, depending upon the way you're raised up, and then my children often
like my sofkey as well, which is almost like a one pot fish stew that I make as well. I eat most everything and anything that I can set my hands to, and my garden is doing quite well, and my chickens, as well. It's always helpful to
have chickens to raise and to sell, and to exchange
for goods and services. Thank you for your inquiry though. - [Interviewer] Thank you, Caroline. We have questions from
several people wondering what Mrs. Washington
was like as a mistress. - Oh, goodness. Mrs. Washington is Lady Washington. She's accustomed to a
certain level of service. She has often been heard
as describing us as lazy and ungrateful. I don't believe that she has knowledge that we know of these things, but that is the way that it is. She is the most excellent
and gracious hostess, which is easy to be if
you have all of the help that she does have in most everything. She's a very meticulous steward over everything that is grown here, and the things that are
given out as far as rations, so she is very well in
charge of what things happen in the kitchen and what things are grown in the garden. She's a very good overseer,
or mistress of the plantation. She is to other people different
than what she is to me. But thank you for your inquiry. - [Interviewer] Amy is wondering
if you've ever traveled anywhere outside of Mount Vernon? - No, ma'am, I've never traveled anywhere outside of Mount Vernon,
save Alexandria town. My wish though, is to be
able to go all the way up to Philadelphia. I have heard that there are
so many free people of color walking up and down the streets,
just as fine as you please. Hercules used to tell me of those stories of those people all the time when they come back from visits. Him and Charlotte and
Christopher, as well, Christopher Sheels, they'd
tell me about all of the sites, and everything there was
up there in Philadelphia. And if you wish to be honest,
I have told my children if they ever receive an
opportunity to get up and away from here,
that they should perhaps go to Philadelphia. Perhaps they might find
liberties that they are not privy to around here. Yes, I would like to go to Philadelphia and parts further than that, as well. Again, thank you for your inquiry. - [Interviewer] We have a
question from Deanna wondering how do you raise your children
and work as much as you do? - Oh goodness. How do I raise my children
and work as often as I do? Oh, well, an infant child, while that child is still nursing, you are free to carry your baby with you, strap your baby to your
belly, to your back, nurse the child when it is necessary, and set the baby down on a
blanket or someplace nearby. Once that child starts to
toddle off and get under foot, then they are quickly dismissed
from the household and such, and as of late, Master
Washington has dismissed most all of the slave children
from playing out and about and around the mansion,
as well as the gardens, save my Rachel, she is
to assist in watering of the plants and such, and the gardens. They did set some damage
to some of his precious trees and shrubs at one particular time, so they are not to be
seen (laughs) or nearby. But for the most part the
older children look in after the smaller children,
making sure that everybody stays out of harm's way. Those that retire from labors, as we spoke of often and before, they assist in looking
in after your children. It pretty much takes a whole community to raise one another's children. As I said before, we are all family, but then again, we are not. So, everyone tries to make sure that everyone else's child is well cared for as best they possibly can. - [Interviewer] Thank you, Caroline. We have a couple of questions
about how many hours you work in a day and what time
you start and end your day? - Oh, goodness gracious, let's see. I start most days around
and about four of the clock, right about time that
the cocks start to crow, and in most of my days where I'm dismissed from the household around and
about nine o'clock in the eve. These are quite long days and
there are some that might say, well, Caroline, you're working in of doors with all of these people,
attending to their needs and such. Is it much better than
being out of doors laboring out in the hot sun as the
field workers might do? I don't consider it much better. The same for the most part. There might be more hours
this particular season, and less hours required of
me another particular season, but still and all, when your days are at
someone else's command, it does not matter how
long you are working or where you are working. It's just the simple fact
that you are laboring for somebody else's
benefit and not your own. So my days can be quite long. But thank you for your
concern and your query. - [Interviewer] Thank you, Caroline, and we just have time for
a couple more questions. Jeannie is wondering, what
would be the first thing you would do if you were free? - Were my children free with me as well? Let us suppose that they were. I have not given very much thought to it, as most times I imagine
my life would end with me being in bondage. The first thing that I
might do if I were free would be able to go up to Alexandria throughout the week and not just at slave market on Sundays, and walk in and out of the shops, purchasing whatever it is
that I wished to purchase, and exchanging goods and
such, and speaking to whoever it is that I wished to speak to. I would rise when my body does say rise, and I would lie when
my body does say rest. Those would be the first
things that I would do. Hopefully, I would get an
opportunity to do these things without fear of looking over my shoulder, being concerned as to who is watching me or expecting me to return soon. I should give more thought
to that particular query, and perhaps I should
come up with something even more fanciful. - [Interviewer] We have a
question from Don, who's wondering if you can sing us a song you might sing here at Mount Vernon. - Oh, goodness gracious. Donald wants for me to sing
a song that I might sing here at Mount Vernon. There's a song that sometimes I sing when I go down to sit with
my mother in the cemetery. If I get a moment, I slip down there unawares to Master and
Mistress Washington, who always seem that I
should be about labor somewhere or another. And I remember call this particular song, it is called Steal Away, and
it's basically about that. How it was used as a message song, when I was first taught it, how it was giving the
message that now is the time to steal away from your labor, steal away from the
master and the mistress of the plantation, to run away, to go and seek your liberty, or it could also mean steal away to Jesus. Steal away home to your eternal rest. I shall sing one short
verse (laughs) knowing that we probably have other
things to get on to, and I'm more than sure that it's my turn to be assisting and serving them the meal. So I'll sing one short verse for you. ("Steal Away to Jesus") ♪ Steal away, steal away,
steal away to Jesus ♪ ♪ Steal away, steal away home ♪ ♪ I ain't got-a long to stay here ♪ ♪ My Lord, He calls me ♪ ♪ He calls me by the thunder ♪ ♪ The trumpet sounds within-a my soul ♪ ♪ I ain't got-a long to stay here ♪ ♪ Steal away, steal away ♪ ♪ Steal away to Jesus ♪ ♪ Steal away, steal away home ♪ ♪ I ain't got-a long to stay here ♪ - [Interviewer] That was beautiful. Thank you, Caroline. Thank you so much for
joining us here today. - You're quite welcome. Thank you all for your very precious time, I don't count it lightly. So enjoy the remainder of your days, and if you all get an
opportunity to come up here and visit us, please do, I'm always here. Caroline is always here.
