school. He learned
pretty well. I never did like to 'sociate or stay 'bout colored folks
and I didn't like to mind 'em. Old mistress show did brush me out
sometimes and they called my mother to tend to me. When I was real
little they drove the hands to the block to be sold out along the road.
Old mistress say: "If you don't be good and mind we'll send yare off and
sell you wid 'em." That scared me worse than a whooping. Never did see
anybody sold. Heard them talk a heap about it. When one of them wouldn't
work and lay out in the woods, or they wouldn't mind they soon got sold
off. They mated a heap of them and sold them for speculation. No mam I
didn't like slavery. We had plenty to eat but they worked for all they
got. Had good fires and good warm houses and good clothes but I did not
like the way they give out the provisions. They blowed a horn and
measured out the weeks paratta for every family. They cooked at the
cabins for their own families. There was several springs and a deep rock
walled well at old mistress' house. Old mistress always lived in a fine
house. I slept at my mother's house nearly all the time. She had a big
family. White folks raised me up to play with Ed till I thought I was
white. They taught me to do right and I ain't forgot it. I never was
arrested. I married three times, bought three marriage license all in
Prairie County. All three wives died.

I owns dis house 'cept a mortgage of $50. One of my boys got in a
difficulty. I don't know where he is to get him to pay it off. The other
boy he's not man enough either to pay it off.

I never did know jess when the Civil War did close. I kept hearing 'em
say we are free. I didn't see much difference only when Colonel Williams
come back times wasn't so hard. Then he sold out and come to Arkansas.
Then each family raised his own hogs and chickens and finally got to
have cows.

I was as scared of the Ku Klux Klan as of rattlesnakes. In Tennessee
they come up the road and back just after dark. They rode all night and
if you wasn't on your master's own land and didn't have a pass from him
or the overseer they would set the dogs on you and run you home.
Sometimes they would whip them. Take them home to the old master. I
never heard of no uprisings. People loved each other better then than
now. They didn't have so much idle time. There was always some work to
be doing. When they didn't mind they run them with dogs and whipped
them. The overseer and paddy