her and dar us stayed for 'bout three years.
It paid us to stay dere 'stead of runnin' off lak some udder Niggars dat
played de fool done. T'warn't long 'fore dem Yankees come 'long, and us
hustled off to town to see what dey looked lak. I never seed so many
mens at one time in my life before. When us got back to de plantation de
overseer told us not to drink no water out of de well, 'cause somebody
had done put a peck of pizen in dar. He flung a whole bushel of salt in
de well to help git rid of de pizen.

"Atter de end of de war, I went to wuk as a plow-hand. I sho did keep
out of de way of dem Ku Kluxers. Folkses would see 'em comin' and holler
out: 'De Ku Kluxers is ridin' tonight. Keep out of deir way, or dey will
sho kill you.' Dem what was skeered of bein' cotched and beat up, done
deir best to stay out of sight.

"It was a long time atter de war was done over 'fore schools for Niggers
was sot up, and den when Nigger chillun did git to go to school dey
warn't 'lowed to use de old blue-back spellin' book 'cause white folkses
said it larn't 'em too much.

"It was two or three years atter de war 'fore any of de Niggers could
save up enough money to start buyin' land, and den, if dey didn't watch
dey steps mighty keerful, de white folkses would find a way to git dat
land back from de Niggers.

"What! Is I got to tell you 'bout dat old Nigger I got married up wid? I
don't want to talk 'bout dat low down, no 'count devil. Anyhow, I
married Ed Griffeth and, sho dat, I had a weddin'. My weddin' dress was
jus' de purtiest thing; it was made out of parade cloth, and it had a
full skirt wid ruffles from de knees to de hem. De waist fitted tight
and it was cut lowneck wid three ruffles 'round de shoulder. Dem puff
sleeves was full from de elbow to de hand. All dem ruffles was aidged
wid lace and, 'round my waist I wore a wide pink sash. De underskirt was
trimmed wid lace, and dere was lace on de bottom of de drawers laigs.
Dat was sho one purty outfit dat I wore to marry dat no 'count man in. I
had bought dat dress from my young Mist'ess.

"Us had seven chillun and ten grandchillun. Most of 'em is livin' off up
in Detroit. If Ed ain't daid by now he ought to be; he was a good match
for de devil.

"I reckon Mr. Lincoln and Mr. Jeff Davis done right as fur as dey knowed
how and could. If dem northern folkses hadn't fotched us here, us sho
wouldn't never have been here in de fust place. Den dey hauled off and
said de So