s cause I ken member fore de
niggers wore freed you could jes plant by de moon and plant anything in
God's ground en by de moon en de crops would grow. Now dey jes buther up
God's ground en put ole stinky messy fertilizer on hit en de crops jes
burn up. Nobody oughter mess wid God's ground.

"I'se a Publican who ever heared of a Democrat nigger. Nigger neber did
own enything so dey cant be Democrats en if dey vote a Democrat ticket
dey is jes votin a lie. Cause no nigger neber did own slaves only the
old nigger slave traders and dey werent nuthin but varmints anyway. Ye
jes has to hev owned slaves to vote a Democrat ticket en den no nigger
eber did own slaves er hed nothing."

(Mary lives in Clarksville, Pike R.R. #1, Hopkinsville, Kentucky)

CALDWELL CO.
(Mary E. O'Malley) [HW: Ky 6]

Coal Mine Slaves: In 1836 large numbers of slaves were brought into
Caldwell and worked by the owners of the ore mines, which necessitated
extra patrols, interfered with local workmen, and so on. The taxpayers
complained to the Legislature and an extra tax was allowed to be levied
for the benefit of the county. In other books we find that the owners of
the slaves who worked in these mines was President Andrew Jackson who
brought his slaves from Nashville to the iron and lead mines in Caldwell
and Crittenden counties; he is said to have made several trips himself
to these mines.

The Missing Man:

"In 1860 Mr. Jess Stevens owned a negro slave, and his wife. Jess
Williams, who lived in the north end of the county, bought the old
slave, but did not buy his wife.

"One day one of Jess William's boys went to Edward Stevens and an
argument followed, causing Mr. Stevens to shoot him in the arm. Later
Jess Williams took the old negro and went to the field where Edward
Stevens and the boy were planting corn. They hid behind a tree and the
negro was given the gun and was told to shoot when Stevens came down the
road by them.

"He came by slowly covering corn but the negro did not shoot. Williams
said, "Why didn't you shoot?" and the negro replied, "Massie, I just
didn't have da heart." Williams said, "If you don't shoot next time, I'm
going to shoot you." When Stevens started by the negro shot and killed
him, tearing his hoe handle into splinters.

One day a salesman, who rode a fine horse and had a beautiful saddle
came to Princeton and later went to the Williams home. Several days
later his people got anxious about him, and