The Slave, the Overseer, and the Tell-Tale Coat
By George W. W. Stone, Jr.
The following story was told by George Stone, Jr., who was a small child when the incident took place. His father, George W. W. Stone, was a professor of mathematics at Emory College and, in addition to his home in Oxford, owned a farm north of Oxford near the Newton/Walton County line. Professor Stone also owned about 20 slaves. Here is the story in George’s words:
Abner was the “Uncle Remus” of the Stone Plantation. He was fond of children and his house was where all we children wanted to go whenever we could to hear him tell stories, sing songs and play games. Abner had charge of Father’s hogs and there were usually between one or two hundred of them. You could hear Ab calling the hogs for miles. Also, Abner plowed pretty good with a horse named Fanny, for which he had a great affection. Fanny was a good saddler as well as a good work horse.
One of the overseers of the farm was a man named Harris, who was a rowdy, drinking sort of a man. After Fanny had worked hard all day, Harris would take her to go off on a frolic and probably ride her half the night. Ab remonstrated with him and said he would tell “Marse George.” That made Harris mad and he tried to whip Ab. Abner jerked loose from him and ran away, staying hid in the woods for a day or two.
I remember one morning about 2 o’clock, somebody knocked at the back door. When Father asked who it was, the answer came, “It’s Abner. I’ve done had trouble with Mr. Harris and I’ve come to tell you about it.” Father told him he would hear about it in the morning. The next day was Saturday. In the morning Father had the rockaway hitched up and took Silas and Ab to the plantation. Ab told Father that when Harris tried to whip him, he just jerked away from Harris and ran. Father said he did not want to make a decision before he heard both sides of the case. When they got to the plantation Harris had a long tale to tell. He said that Ab had quarreled and offended him about his (Harris) riding the horse, and when he undertook to whip Ab, Ab resisted, trying to cut Harris with his pocket knife, which resulted in cutting his coat. Father asked to see the coat. It was a heavy homemade jeans coat with a heavy homespun lining. There was a gash in the back of it. Father took the coat and looked at it very carefully.
He said, “Mr. Harris, did you have this coat on when Ab tried to cut you?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Well, Mr. Harris, then how does it happen that the gash in the lining of the coat is so much longer than the one on the outside?”
To this Harris could not say anything. The fact was, Harris had removed his coat, holding it in his left hand with the lining toward him and had cut the gash himself.
Abner was not punished and for that and one or two other offences Harris was soon dismissed.
One of the overseers of the farm was a man named Harris, who was a rowdy, drinking sort of a man. After Fanny had worked hard all day, Harris would take her to go off on a frolic and probably ride her half the night. Ab remonstrated with him and said he would tell “Marse George.” That made Harris mad and he tried to whip Ab. Abner jerked loose from him and ran away, staying hid in the woods for a day or two.
I remember one morning about 2 o’clock, somebody knocked at the back door. When Father asked who it was, the answer came, “It’s Abner. I’ve done had trouble with Mr. Harris and I’ve come to tell you about it.” Father told him he would hear about it in the morning. The next day was Saturday. In the morning Father had the rockaway hitched up and took Silas and Ab to the plantation. Ab told Father that when Harris tried to whip him, he just jerked away from Harris and ran. Father said he did not want to make a decision before he heard both sides of the case. When they got to the plantation Harris had a long tale to tell. He said that Ab had quarreled and offended him about his (Harris) riding the horse, and when he undertook to whip Ab, Ab resisted, trying to cut Harris with his pocket knife, which resulted in cutting his coat. Father asked to see the coat. It was a heavy homemade jeans coat with a heavy homespun lining. There was a gash in the back of it. Father took the coat and looked at it very carefully.
He said, “Mr. Harris, did you have this coat on when Ab tried to cut you?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Well, Mr. Harris, then how does it happen that the gash in the lining of the coat is so much longer than the one on the outside?”
To this Harris could not say anything. The fact was, Harris had removed his coat, holding it in his left hand with the lining toward him and had cut the gash himself.
Abner was not punished and for that and one or two other offences Harris was soon dismissed.