Document text
Jilson Littlejohn
950 Fiar StreA,
Preacher
by
Geneva Tonsill
THE VOICE OF GOD SPOY-F, TO LIE
II can recollect before the Wrr with the states. I have
r good me-Aory. I can remember far back, even when I -Tis four
years old. I 7`1S M7 mother's third child. She was the mother of
thirteen children, tnree girls and ten boys. My mother was a half
Indian. c. -v father was mixed with Caucasian and Spanish. He didn't
have much hnglo-African blood in him.
remember seeing nis
mother one time and this w -s when she was dying. I was looking
through a crack in the wall', for I had heard them in the house
say she was dying and I wanted to know what it looked like to
A
see a dying person. She had a turkey wing in her hand, fanning
slowly, hack and forth, as iE she was barely able to muster e-
nough strength to al-r.e the next stroke. She looked so. pale and
feeble. Ihis T! --IS in the house where my aunt used to weave cloth
and cook.
1 family was poor, hard working people and plaves They
were healthy, robust neo le and considered very good slaves)
and their owner was consfdered -uite wealthy duel -the healthy
bunch of slaves he had. c.or yoa see in these days slaves were
considered -Property, or resources.
was born in Union County, o-oth-arolina, in. January,
1855, on f-ro or rather big -1rntation. I remember the old
boss, old 'hen 1Dick, rhO had sev- al boys on the lace. He had
11 o, us chopping cotton. He told me to nut a hickory switch
in my belt r(9 e th the boys thopned the cotton right. He
then srid, 'Tf 7011 don't, I'll lick you to r frazzle.' After
he hacl gone fro- th,- field, my cousin, who seemed to went to try me
out to see if I 4olld really use the swith as the boss had told --no,
,tr,rted playing and leeif chopoing the cotton.
spoke to him but
c didn'
sttension. 1 truck him once sne he turned
uicklv to hit re with his hoe and the handle st.ruo1 his nose and
it started bleedln (sse in the crowd got very sngry with me be-
ce se the boss hsH -fc'e me ewhst sn oveaseerer over then an said
for the boy to go to the house ene tell the master. ihe master sent
for -Ile, but I wesn't -fr iC of hiu and told hin just what hsp ened.
leon I first valued un he -id, 'If 77n11 issrt to fight, fight se.'
he --id it he be -t on his ehest with his fists. I stood 'In there
sisC told him .ee117 -het had hannened and lie told me to go back to
tb fi-ld to (ork. didn't -et a 'seating. I always tried to keep
from getting s. hin-oing for I'd _ether:the-7 kilf Ire than whip me.
I was trying to cerrs, out his wishes W why I attempted: to strike.
the boy at all ith that hickory.
iihe first year after 1,Smancipation the loods were full of
run -s -ways.
e were afrid to get out. They didn't have any
ulace to 70 anh c(sHldn't come out before Lmancination becrrse they
were afraid of being ceptnred. eing unable to make a living,
honestly, they were desnerate.for that reason everyone was scared
r.
to 70 out at night, cflc in the dav too) for that matter for it was
J
dsancrerolss. Ivy boss told me one time to go down to the cornfield to
se s about things sndi to see if there were togs in the corn. I had
to go through the woods to get there. I was efrsid to go but I
knew something must be done so I took one of the boys with me. We
didn't go re -r the field, nor the woods but hid ourselves and pleYed
marbles. i.00t the tire it would take for us to go there and back
I told Clifford, who w',9 with me, to nut mud all over his feet end
roll un his breeches less. ,,hen -e got -reek to the house my nester
asked ell, JilF, did you get around the cornfield?' I told
_him yes. He s -id, did you see any hogs' tracks?' I told him
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rlenty, out n t in the field.
father lived at this plant tion for many years, in fact he
was living there when he died. ihst was the first time I felt the
spirit of the Lord. It did something to me to see my father dead.
"Then 1 -ter there c -,)e to our vicinity an old man, George
haters, a most devout colored man and Christian. I heard him sing
—am/ songs) and one especially stirred me most and caused me to
th nk much -bout my soul. I wou]± join in and heln him sing:
I bad flied when i was a child
wouldn't have had this race to run
If -n going home to heaven in that morning, in that morning
(Tod bless _loth r, God bless lather, why not I
God bless a trusting child
I'm going home to heaven in that morning, in that morning.
"I joined the church after haring that song. I was very
devilish but not mean. I tried hard to get religion. My brother,
Junies, ,as older than I. He mould, tell the -eo le that I was trYing
to r -t a reLigion and T got ashamed and it. I got religion when
was twenty-one years o3(, after I as married. '_ny how I lived a
Lahristian but the devil would overtake ue,but I would overcome his
teTintations. —fter I stayed in the chuldh I heard poorle tell their
deter7inatien and testify. I wasn't tbf,t way. I would never get up
to talk in these meetings. I would, however, ask those who were
Christians to -ray for me.
1-"cw for over nineteen 7 ars, if I have committed any sin T
don't krow but; one. That as four Years ago when I lived on Ghestnut
Street. My daughter lived in iios —ngeles, California. he wrote me
to sent her some numbers for the 'bug' and she sent -le a lot of
numbers and told me to rick out the ones she was to clay. I picked
out the numbers and sent her. Then T knew I had sinned. I prayed and
asked Gokiif I was wrong to speak to me. Out of clear, blue sky, after
A
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I had.shed ilim to snow me that I was wrong, a clap of thunder
sounded in the heavens and ps
s rely as 7ou sit there in that swing
that tnunder seemed to spy, 'You have sinned against God aid the
holy Ghost.' “ft( --.r that prayer and that clap of thunder I knew
then that -Tod was disnleased with me for joining in the works of
the devil, for the voice of God had spoken to -le in that triunder.
I received a letter from Try daughter telling me she had played those
numbers end had won on both of them. the later sent me another
letter asking me to send h,r mere numbers but God had spoken to
me in that thunder and sh wed me it was wrong, that I had sinned)
1 vouldn't send her another number. t-iod told me this was wrong
and the aseage came to me wherF he aid, 'If 70171" right hand
of enrl.yo, cut it off' -11.0 I was cuttin7 off this sin.
ady, God talks to me.
I 'am 7oing to tell you of c! vision that
I had. Last May, four years ago, I saw c number fo'rteen and it
w• -)s in the sky, To the ri,rht of this number was written years'
-nd then I heard a voice telling'mesin fourteen years Gabriel
was goinrr to nu one foot cu the ocean and the other on the 1pnd and
declare by him that love God that time would be no longer.
.ell, you wil find in Revelations wAere Gabriel was going to nut on
foot on the see and the other on land and _swear the coming of the Lord,
an the cf time. hcw)tell me what is the difference between
declare 9n, s ear
"I've lived in t-tIanta eight years. 1 lived In ilorida just
before coming to Rtlanta. I lived with my son there. k'ince I have
been too old to work. I go from one child to the other and they are
all ver, good to me.
loll. see I'm crimple. hell, its because I was getting off a trin
near Jacksonville soon after it rul ed.
1.1.p
and stonred in a place
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that i thought ws where 1 raF to ret oil. I picked up my
baggeTe ene nlleee cef he train. It ss a longer step than I
thoeght fre-e the er nd a as i ste red my fort and leg were
e s hurt o badly and walked three
badly crushed.
dien't know
locks or more to try get someone to take me to the tion
If ntien ot that I got oft. I was mist'ken. I
found the eople uite nice to me and I was taken to a doctol ior
treatment. 1 rem,ined en bLE, to walk for six months.
_or uh r e, n -e-r, nn- I have be n nnabl to work but thnnk5
to God, still ii-irg ani not -ny the worst off) for my children
are wonderful to me. ihia daughter nn- her husband are nice) and
I haven't =thin- to worr-1 .bout. &hc lass ha' re treated here
et Gr-dT iLosnitfll ier the inury. Let ee show you my leg. EJLe-
how bruised and urple it is? It was n bad looking sight for
lean:1 anv days alter it hanpened. I have to -nlk wtth the
eid of a cane. -vereare tno-ght I wns going to lose the leg
fent-Ire y. I had
never been to a city- hospitn1 befor going to
erady end i-hcn I got there they nslree me thousnn questions.
felt like walking out -Ind eoing back home. hen they go, through
with me, s v're rice doctor come to look at the leg. He examined
the leg thoroughly =,,n(-1 then bandaged it en with gale, with laver
nfter ]a_er). nd as I st there -watching him wrap I noticed the
-ill with which he worl-ed. I thought ol what a wonderful profession he
Was naged in, heline the sick and how near Christ he should be.
I said, do you '-no\J -oe are working on n Christian a man of God?
He just smile', as if he understood thorc 7hly what I meint. Val en.
I got home I to k that hand me off my leg and through faith. in God
I'm healing nicely. hel;e tL w'nlk pith a stick.
told you of the run -away slay s. They hnd what as called
run -away -dens.
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.h.en the -elu Klux elan irst st rted in lennesseeAright after
tee -ar, the/ were called the hite Gappers' and then Iluskwac ers'
and 1 -ter the took the n
'e of 1 lu him flans. lot of the
wrona done the slaves wps not done by the _lu Klux Ilan but it
--s laic to thelu hlux
They would -et darkies out of the dens
and beet the- PT1(:!, soeeti -es the would kill the.
"Once they whirped father. I dreamed teat rorning before
he got whirpe( that he was being beaten and so scared WPS I that
lurne' art (si
Hrd an rah out in the yard. Liy brether was stf-tn
ing there 10 hifl like death. e -id, 'They hhve just Thinned
A
rether an ;rother n-mlett.' I wanted to know how he aot out of
aetting the beeting too, an' he told me he had slipped out nseen
and hidden. hy brether that was whipped left hope; i/e was so
frightened. eie went to Columbia, South Carolina. Soon after
that, around. mornina, -07
eother _nd sister looked ovt and saw a
crowd o men comira. 1 -other yelled, 'There are the rClu Klux "lan
comine for us again.' They swarmed around the house like black-
birds. 1 could ti e a.etten away but I co 1d4leaN.e my mother and
sister to face those horrible men clone. I stood fr th- chimney
corner. a had rather they kill 7e than whir me and the way I felt
th-t mornirp, I as euite sure they ould have had to Lill -re)for I
wasn't coin c- to -errit them to whir me. jhe leader came to the
door en talked ih (-other. Told her they weren't eoina to
lather her )or and they ca e to tell her they weren't the ones
that whipted my father anE brother.
learned that the sentiment
as
The
had lecrned pbeut it and.
that they were beaten by them. They
said they knew my fath.r as a rood slave and h' was liked by every-
one in that ccuntrT and for u.s. not to iear lonaer they would protect
our family. But it was too late, some of the family had already'
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left home'.
for water nd waDted to knor where my father
'other told the' she didn't krow. The iClars had spr d
terror among the slaves
and we couldn't -17elieiie, .-A_HnotIgh he sAd
goirc? to protect us, that they ere telling the truth.
The1:321
1.91T wi ni7
an, rill Mathis, with a thorn
Tn-t was a most brutal beating. God asnAt nle,sed -ith
the tr at -lent mien us by some oi the whites anc he sent a reorle
down to rotect-us. .Lordy, -ft r the Yankees began ickina up
very en tlat was a n. v, we had P little peace of mind and rest
from they. ,--cotl was the governor then ard)upon fnvestigation)
it --s fo,nd that this organization had bo-ught,ur the rights
to ride -or large sun/ of money. They had -nid *6C.00n0 for this
right. ih„ governor cut
cori tuni cation an," aent am Knuckles,
or th9. said Sam slinred out and went -to Washington and was
introduced to Grant and -herman -.rid then Grant sent ittee
outh to see if he wac truth about their treatment.
;ie sort the hlue Coats down they -protected the salves.
am full- convincer.'
God was in all of this. I was always
shown, by a voice, or sign, th,,t he was morkinrr for us. jovernor-
op,ott sent a there and they protected the peonle. They
never killed one darl,ry. The Yankees took the men they rounded.
11.1-) 953 Tilt: IC1.-
il
en
p7t them in jail. TheT, tfok all of their
I don't know how theY were in the state of Georgia but
I Was told the: would go fro state to state. 'hey wo-ld take teot;le
out and whin th i-or the ;A thing. One ni7ht after there had
b'en. 'bout nine
„f 01 for protection, they were taken out
The ilitia didn't 1< ow anything Mort it until the
next day. everything Tc,F, done to round up those men but they
failed. The 1:.1u ilux "'Jan went their
ir.rp-v) continuing wherever
they could without running into the militia h to scare the slaves.
ihe men tnought the: h d killed -11 of the nine menlbut one liv d.
,Jh'le. it une.:,_bress,le. but I lived thr nll of t at.
1 slert in the woods, -woke to find the rain falling in my face.
h -re were nnv s sleerin-r in the woods. We belonged in
the outh, r we 1-1,,d beer brought here cs nror rtv nrid had worked
-s sieves to f'urther enrich our i-qtrp, amid horroole conditions,
tilLwe were fnithfil to v,ven when the --F,sters went
away to fight to keep us in slavery we slaves we left behind to
wr,tch -fter the mistress -nd children. We st ved there, loyal to
our trust, we didn't break rrir trust.
I Fay we, and 'lthough I
Was ,Tori(D7, I too re,'1i7ed the resronsibilit- rlaced on
the "en slaves. --e loolrea after 'our mistresss as n dog world
wqtch .7ft
r his -raster: we didn't let one thin hrar-er to the children.
-drotected them all. ,-od saw fit to send the Northerners down to
free us, they were 7001 people. fe weren't afraid of them as we
were the Loutherners. I remember telling them in partanburgliL)
ts4t we are afraid of 7ou but n -t the 14orthern reorle, they are good-
"If taink of the t le of the rattle snr,1?-e.qnd the
Pe .atte--snake rT9,S. in the fire and e bear ca -le along. The snake
-,&lred the bear th tTlce him out 'arid the 'rear -ro-ised)if he would
s.- he wouldn't bite -fter Tettin.7 out. Nhe beer took the snake ort
,fter his roaisc) Tflr theY n1 ed on down the road. Theeinoticed the
sr -k- wns continuously licking out his tongue. —eld think of his
olorilse then drew in his tonrrue. On down theil,roed they went)
A42,4""`"
nnd -uam—Pf.fr—r ncticed r. snake licking out his tongue.
bear said,
afraid, I'm afrald you aren't coing to
live -in to your mr. :Driake sain, •r. beap, it is
yy nature to bite, I can't helr it,.'
My ther in heaven has sroken to me five tines. On the farm
where 1 hare spent most of my life, in Spartanburg, I took one plow
and made twenty-seven bales of cotton with it and never hired a furrow
1P,P' cotton went down to 5(/., I got up out of my bed one
--orning, went to the r',0or)flnd a voice spoke to me and said, ?You!? re
going to mpl7e
cotton.' I told my wife it as the voice of God.
-less your soul, I ,ode teirty bales of cotton end cot 7*(,/, _for it.
it were true
T b -ever thot h.os cc inn to get V. He to1 me if/He would
-ive 7e Two weeks later I went to see him and I saw him standing
there in his office, He said, 'Jibs, I got the At and 1 owe you e5
--es i Prom'Lsed.'
told he need not gleae 79 one renny)that I did.Y‘:-k-
10k tell him anything. he owed me nothing for God had told re what
cotton would be anre if he (-wed anyone, it wad God he owed, no me.
Ixmxxic Later 1 ran teree-horse farm. T owed w905 and in 2--ugust)
weer teat cntton was in its bleom, I hired tw- men to helm nlOw.
in Imo —Ft I threr-ht
wn71.1(9 fTet
f .uott on I went to
the door arp:' as I stood there a -voice said, 'If you pay your debts
you wont pay out of cotton, you w,11n.ay ()let of work aone in a brick
-'hen ha r inished nicking cotton I had less than seventeen
bales. 1,e ermy worm had eaed it. In l9T• .1 got a job making
brick, p in the deA.Eff.
I had bee gun's.
The bees got urset, seemed
like they -ere wad about sonething and I xmkat went ont nd Ft rtc:d to
Put my hond in to see what the trouble.was. My father spoke to me again
end 7-i fLon't -pet viner h-nd down there1 a snake bite 77-cri.'
I stopned there and then and killed a water moccasin.
P
"I was in Ashwille when Vanderbilt was putting up his mansion,
sflw me and jumPer off the veranda anA ca -e down to speak with me.
I stayed in Ish:ville eight days, trying to secure work. Peonle g-ve me
eople 1 idnit know. I'm sp-ing this that yo may see how God
takes care of those he has set ‘!--.neet. I saw Vdill heal, a man I h d
known for many years. He told me got broke gPelhling end asked me fork.
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I told him L didn't gamble and J idn't enccir ge Tpmblers
by _Lk'11;7 contriontions to them. He co.-Itinued to ask me for the
dime. I finally gve him the dime. after giving Neal the ten
c,nts, oice s-ok: to e: 'Yol n't a r-Tibler bflt -ou are
instns r -1111-t7. let hi- hair xoner to gamble 'tn. on will
hew to tan4 before the bar of justice jrst as he.' I prayed then
as I nevkr 'ax--ved f r for '+ori to lorgive me.
I didn't get right until I got home. It come to me one night
inst nfore white man cale and -tood before -le nd
sew ni- l'st as nl'inly if ho as flesh standinr there. I now,
tho- tn t 1 mr locked tne (Mors an(' none co -51d cone in. IL felt
trangt, f elin- co
olier
kre,,, it was the works of God.
e spoke, a calm sweet voice, 'Go, Gus, into the highways and hedges
.ni Preach 1 word. T will prennre You.' I Teean to think of
this, or as uddenl- s the figure had arneared, i-st as suddenly
e hall gone. IL wasn't frightened seemed I ha gotten sed
to God telljn me wnat he wanted. I didn't go on and start Pre Lchinm1
tho-igh, right •-,W°7. Ii W^S qh0 t fifteen Years before I agreed to
ach and teat lr after God hl stricken me down with lever. I
rroeised Gr if he W( mid h al me I wo1 mrech his word. I went to
God That as I was, without one --)lea)and the fever left me. I was very
lo that day, nT wile was near the bedside, walking up an down the
floor. I told GOd,(yo,7
ode me, am nothing but mortal man, I'm
horn to die, T know, God.. I treated
11
5ustice wrong and I'll be
ready to atone it if you will raise me from this :b._(77.4 I ml1
pre ach.
that feirer.
.fter thf,t m-7 soul woe happy. God touched me and ki led
1 told the doctor when he came that God was he -ling -e,
that I r not goin to die, I was hay. The doctor adMitted he
didn't know what r
come over me but he had been very upset over
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--my condition and didn't believe 'bleat I was going to over it
before he ccrrie Lo mke that iFAt Out 11117f1S SO much 'Detter as
miracle.
fro that beo, I got in the -eill-oit. I got cb,
license to reach -nd have been preaching his word since.'
-r. Lit,ticiohn sot there telling his story, he made o
beoutiful rict re with his hair hanging to his shoulders, most
beautiful silky/sotiny blonde hoir. I had to comment on it. He
told me, lies, eorie, white 1r1 black, stop to admire this hair.
I've worn it long for wears. I remember once a woman stopped re
on the streets and m -id she admired my hair so lwlch and it was
.so oretty that she warted to put her hand on my head. She had never
seen -hair on a -Thar's need like that. I Was going from i•outh carolina
to i'lorida. 1 went in Vs -at down in the coach designated for colored
where I belonged. ihe condelctor came in, 'You don't belong here,
70 in that coach right there.'
T got 'in and did as he told me.
hsin I got to where I was to Chnnge, I took my
ge and headed
for the waiting room,,earked''.Cor colored') and as I was about to
go' in a white man said, ti-oet don't belong there, come right around
here. he ushered me to the white waiting room; I went on in and
sot down. IT didn't fail to trest God. lie had toid me, v -resence shall
g with thee, and I will IfIre thee rest.' And I've found that he as
-1 with me. I cr ld sit here end tell you about the workings of
eod the rest of the day. I love tbtalk about him. You've been so
kind to sit here and listen to me and 1 s irelyw ant you to come bock
to see -me. I will always nreach and tell eonle about God ndlohen
1 _Lind s meone who eill talk with me I oven low with joy and talk,
tall,. I shall lways keep close to God for he has told me in his
word, 'Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.'