Descriptions of College Servants, Annals of Athens: pages 174-177

Subject

Slave Labor

Description

This excerpt from A.L. Hull's Annals of Athens describes several college servants at the University of Georgia, including Billy Hull and Old Sam Harris. He also describes other enslaved people who interacted with students, though he does not specify their role on campus, such as Davy Hull and Old Tub.

Creator

Augustus Longstreet Hull

Publisher

Athens Banner Job Office

Date

1906

Format

.jpg

Language

English

Type

Book

Text

A remarkable family of negroes had for their ancestors Bartlett Daricott and his wife Sally, who belonged to Rev. Hope Hull. Both they and their nine children were persons of integrity and strength of character and justly deserved the esteem with which they were held by all their white acquaintances. Many of their descendants are living in Athens. Of the older generation Bill and Davy Hull were well known carpenters. The former was for years the college carpenter. Dr. Church stopped at his bench once and watching him push his plane said "Billy, what makes you work so slowly?" Stopping to spit on his hands - a habit he always had before speaking - Billy replied, "Mass Church, I am not working by the job, nor by the day; but by my life." The doctor had nothing more to say. Davy was a natural wit and had a keen sense of humor. The students called him doctor. Once a dozen of them passed him while shingling a house near the street, and began greeting him with "How are you, doctor," "Good morning doctor," "How d'ye do, doctor" in quick succession without giving him time to answer. Davy stood up and as soon as the laughing students would hear him, called out "Gentlemen, I am in statu quo." When Willis Cooper was the town marshal, he met Davy one night after nine o'clock. "Well, Davy," "Good evening, Mas Willis. I hope you are well sir," said Dave. "Well Davy, have you a pass?" "No, Mas Willis, I neglected to provide one before I left home, sir." "Well, I am sorry, but you know what I'm obliged to do, Davy." "Yes, sir," said Dave "When a gentleman gets caught out in a shower of rain without an umbrella, he's just got to take it." Fortunately, to the great relief of both of them, a gentleman came by who stood sponsor for the delinquent and he was allowed to go. After the slaves were freed Dr. King asked him, "Well Dave, what are you going to do now?" "Well doctor, I been thinking about that, and I believe in Mas Henry will give me a hundred dollars I'll let him off." Poor fellow! he did not live long enough to taste the value of freedom. He died of small pox that scourge of the colored people in the year after the war. Characters like these were developed under conditions that are forever gone; nor will their like ever be known again.
Among some other well known negroes who have a place in the history of Athens, Tom Harris was prominent and most portly. He was Col. Hardeman's factotum and sexton of the Methodist Church, big, fat and amiable, not especially energetic but a man of fine intelligence and respected by himself and the white people as well.
Old Sam - by birth Harris but by freedom Watkins - was the college bell ringer. He made the fires in the professors' rooms, sometimes swept them out and was at the beck and call of every student in Old and New College.
...
For years "Old Tub" was the friend of the college boys and they recall him with sightless eyes and his dilapidated beaver as one of the features of college life. Lewis was a slave of John H. Christy and his business was to turn the crank when the Southern Watchman went to press. He was emancipated by special proclamation of the President of the United States - along with others - and then took up the business of blind beggar. Tub was quite successful at this and made a fairly good living for many years, but died at last in great poverty.
.....

Original Format

Book

Collection

Books

Citation

Augustus Longstreet Hull, “Descriptions of College Servants, Annals of Athens: pages 174-177,” African American Experience in Athens, accessed September 25, 2023, https://digihum.libs.uga.edu/items/show/158.

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