hing. When I gits bigger I's his valet and he like me and I sho'
like him. He am kind and smart, too, and am choosed from nineteen other
boys to go to England and study at de mil'tary 'cademy. I's 'bout eight
when we starts for Liverpool. We goes from Memphis to Newport and takes
de boat, Bessie. It am a sailboat and den de fun starts for sho'. It am
summer and not much wind and sometimes we jus' stand still day after day
in de fog so thick we can't see from one end de boat to de other.

"I'll never forgit dat trip. When we gits far out on de water, I's dead
sho' we'll never git back to land again. First I takes de seasick and
dat am something. If there am anything worser it can't be stood! It
ain't possible to 'splain it, but I wants to die, and if dey's anything
worser dan dat seasick mis'ry, I says de Lawd have mercy on dem. I can't
'lieve dere am so much stuff in one person, but plenty come out of me. I
mos' raised de ocean! When dat am over I gits homesick and so do Massa
Frank. I cries and he tries to 'sole me and den he gits tears in he
eyes. We am weeks on dat water, and good old Tennessee am allus on our
mind.

"When we gits to England it am all right, but often we goes down to de
wharf and looks over de cotton bales for dat Memphis gin mark. Couple
times Massa Frank finds some and he say, 'Here a bale from home, Sam,'
with he voice full of joy like a kid what find some candy. We stands
round dat bale and wonders if it am raised on de plantation.

"But we has de good time after we gits 'quainted and I seed lots and
gits to know some West India niggers. But we's ready to come home and
when we gits dere it am plenty war. Massa Frank jines de 'Federate Army
and course I's his valet and goes with him, right over to Camp
Carpenter, at Mobile. He am de lieutenant under General Gordon and befo'
long dey pushes him higher. Fin'ly he gits notice he am to be a colonel
and dat sep'rates us, 'cause he has to go to Floridy. 'I's gwine with
you,' I says, for I thinks I 'longs to him and he 'longs to me and can't
nothing part us. But he say, 'You can't go with me this time. Dey's
gwine put you in de army.' Den I cries and he cries.

"I's seventeen years old when I puts my hand on de book and am a sojer.
I talks to my captain 'bout Massa Frank and wants to go to see him. But
it wasn't more'n two weeks after he leaves dat him was kilt. Dat am de
awful shock to me and it am a long time befo' I gits over it. I allus
feels if I