“In the year 1935, amidst the rolling landscapes of Tyler, Texas, an 85-year-old man named Preely Coleman sat down and recounted his life, a narrative that stretched back to the era of slavery. Born in 1852, in the heart of Newberry, South Carolina, he was but a month old when he and his mother were sold and transported to Texas, a journey that would shape the course of his existence. His voice, preserved by the efforts of the WPA, resonates across the decades, a testament to the enduring power of memory and the human spirit.”
A Life Forged in Bondage: The Journey to Texas and Beyond
- A Harsh Beginning: The Sale and the Journey West:
- Preely’s recollection of his birthplace was vivid, marked by the painful truth that one of the Souba boys, the family that owned his mother, was also his father.
- As an infant, he and his mother were sold to the Lewis family and embarked on a month-long journey to Texas, a forced migration that defined the early years of his life.
- Moments of Joy: Encounters with Union Soldiers:
- As a child, Preely found fleeting moments of joy, particularly during the passage of Union soldiers through the region during the Civil War. He recalled the exhilaration of races, the promise of a quarter for the first to reach a mulberry tree.
- However, these moments of respite were often overshadowed by the harsh realities of his existence.
Trials and Tribulations: A Chronicle of Survival
- A Brush with Death: The Intervention of Captain Berryman:
- One day, the other children, resentful of his repeated victories, attempted to inflict harm upon him, dragging him with a rope and planning to drown him in a spring.
- His life was spared by the intervention of a white man named Captain Berryman, who cut him loose and ensured his survival, a moment of unexpected compassion amidst cruelty.
- A Marriage in Bondage: The Selman Family and Freedom’s Dawn:
- His mother later married another enslaved man, John Selman, with the approval of their enslavers, during their journey to Texas. When the Lewis family lost their property, the Selmans purchased Preely and his mother for $1,500.
- Life on the Selman place was marked by the relentless rhythm of labor, beginning at dawn with the sound of a conch shell and continuing until dusk. Sundays offered a brief respite from the toil.
The Dawn of Freedom: A Moment of Profound Transformation
- The Announcement of Emancipation: A Wave of Jubilation:
- Preely vividly recalled the moment when freedom arrived. “We was in the field and massa come up and say, ‘You all is free as I is.’ There was shoutin’ and singin’ and ‘fore night, us was all ‘way to freedom.”
- This moment of liberation, a culmination of years of suffering, was marked by an outpouring of emotion, a collective release of pent-up joy and anticipation.
- A Complex Legacy: Remembrance and Resilience:
- Preely Coleman’s story is a chronicle of survival, a tapestry of memories that illuminate the complexities of life under bondage. Through his words, we are granted a window into the resilience of those who endured and overcame the unimaginable hardships of slavery.
- His testimony, preserved for posterity, stands as a testament to the enduring power of the human spirit to transcend adversity.
Conclusion
“Preely Coleman’s narrative, a voice from the past, serves as a poignant reminder of the enduring power of memory and the resilience of the human spirit. His story, etched in the annals of history, offers a glimpse into the complexities of life under bondage, a testament to the strength of those who endured and ultimately triumphed over the profound injustices of their time.”
