Susie (Freeman) Johnson (abt. 1860 - aft. 1940)

Born about 1860 in Upson, Georgia, United States

Died after 1940 after about age 80 in Griffin, Spalding, Georgia, United States [uncertain]

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Biography

Susie (Freeman) Johnson is a part of US Black heritage.

Susie was born about 1860. Her parents were Jim and Dinah Freeman. Her family was enslaved by Mr. and Mrs. Henry Freeman. They lived on a large cotton plantation with many slaves in Upson Co., Georgia. The 1860 slave schedule shows a male slave and 3 female that coincide with her family^[1]

The 1870 census shows her parents and siblings in Pike, GA:^[2]

James Freeman 65

Dinah Freeman 32

Neptune Freeman 13

Ellen Freeman 9

Arie Freeman 8

Susan Freeman 7

Sarah Freeman 4

Edward Freeman 3

Warren Freeman 2

The 1880 census shows the family in Union Hill, Upson, GA, Susie’s father has died between 1877-1880

Dinah Freeman 40 Self (Head)

Ellen Freeman 20 Daughter

Ann Freeman 18 Daughter

Sanlee Freeman 16 Daughter

James Freeman 14 Son

Warren Freeman 12 Son

Frances Freeman 4 Daughter

Frank Freeman 2 Son

Susie married Unknown Johnson, it is unknown if she had any children. By the 1920 census, Susie has learned to read and was renting a house on Cullodin Road, next door to her previous enslaver.^[3]

In 1936 Susie lived at 232 East Tinsley Street, Griffin, Georgia. In the 1940 census she is at the same address, living with her sister Frances L. Banks and her daughter Teresa.^[4]

Susie passed away after 1940.

Interview

Susie was only four years old when The Civil War began, but recalls a great deal about the old days, and remembers a great deal that her mother told her. Susie's parents were Jim and Dinah Freeman who belonged to Mr. and Mrs. Henry Freeman who lived on a large plantation near The Rock, Georgia.^[5]

Susie is around seventy-five or seventy-seven years old, as nearly as she can "figger it out". A good many years ago when she first came over here from Upson County, she found Mr. Frank Freeman, her young master, and he told her lots and lots about her mother and father and gave her her correct age—July 4th.^[5]

Susie says that Mr. and Mrs. Freeman were "sho" good to their slaves but they surely did control them. For instance, if any of them had the stomach ache "Ole Miss" would make them take some "Jerusalem Oak tea" and if they had a bad cold it was "hoar hound tea". If you did not take the medicine "Ole Miss" would reach up and get the leather strap and (Susie chuckled) then you'd take it.^[5]

When asked if Mr. Freeman whipped the slaves very much, Susie said he did not and that if he had been a mean master that all the slaves wouldn't a wanted to stay on with him after freedom.^[5]

When asked about the negro marriage customs of slavery days, Susie stated that her mother said that she and Jim (Susie's daddy) when they got in love and wanted to marry, jest held each others hands and jumped over the broom and they was married.^[5]

Susie remembers one day when she and her mother were picking cotton when all of a sudden her mother began to sing "Glory to the Dying Land" and sang so much that atter a while she got so happy she couldn't be still and she danced all over Masta's cotton patch and tromped down so much cotton I jest knowed Masta was gwina whup her. Den I laffed at her so hard 'Ole Miss whupped me wid dat strap!^[5]

Slave Owners

Mr. and Mrs. Henry Freeman of Upson Co., Georgia

Sources

1. ↑ "United States Census (Slave Schedule), 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:WKVX-MNZM : 16 October 2019), Henry Freeman, 1860
2. ↑ U.S. 1870 Census https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/1441159:7163
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MJXL-KFG : 1 February 2021), Susie Johnson, 1920
4. ↑ U.S. 1940 Census https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/50713046:2442?tid=&pid=&queryId=e4bdef70faf4636f58f4e350c73991a1&_phsrc=gUG3&_phstart=successSource
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5} Slave Narratives https://www.gutenberg.org/files/22166/22166-h/22166-h.htm#Page_343