s slaves
was sorry dat day for marster and mistress. They was gittin' old, and
now they had lost all they had, and more that dat, they knowed their
slaves was set free. De soldiers took all de good hosses, fat cattle,
chickens, de meat in de smoke house, and then burnt all empty houses.
They left de ones dat folks lived in. De Yankees 'pear to me, to be
lookin' for things to eat, more than anything else.

"Does I believe in 'ligion? Dat is all us has in dis world to live by
and it's gwine to be de onliest thing to die wid. Belief in God and a
'umble spirit is how I's tryin' to live these days. I was christened
fust a Methodist, but when I growed up, I jine de Presbyterian Church
and has 'mained a member of dat church every since.

"Thank God I's had 'nough sense not to believe in haunts and sich
things. I has 'possum hunt at night by myself in graveyards and I ain't
seen one yet. My mammy say she see haunts pass her wid no heads but
these old eyes has never seen anything lak dat. If you has done somebody
a terrible wrong, then I believes dat person when they die, will 'pear
to you on 'count of dat."

Project 1885-1
Folklore
Spartanburg, Dist. 4
Feb. 7, 1938
Edited by:
Elmer Turnage

REMINISCENCES: THE RED SHIRTS
[~HW: Boy~]

"The Red Shirts had a big parade and barbecue in Spartanburg. They met
at the courthouse. There were about 500 Red Shirts, besides others who
made up a big crowd. I remember four leaders who came from Union County.
One of the companies was led by Squire Gilliam Jeter, and one by Squire
Bill Lyles. The company from the city was led by Capt. James Douglass
and 'Buck' Kelley from Pea Ridge was there with his company.

"Everything drilled in Spartanburg that day. The speakers of the day
from Union were Squire Jeter and Capt. Douglass. While they were
speaking, old Squire George Tucker from lower Fish Dam came with his
company. Mr. Harrison Sartor, father of Will Sartor, was one of the
captains. We saw Gen. Wade Hampton and old man Ben Tillman there.

"About this time I was bound out to Mr. Jim Gregory, a blacksmith. The
wealthy landlords bought negroes. Mr. Jim Gregory was the blacksmith for
old Johnny Meador and Aunt Polly, his wife. He told me that Uncle Johnny
bought a man, Heath, for $3,500. He also bought Heath's wife, Morrow,
for Aunt Polly, but I don't know what he paid. The Meador house is just
this side of Simstown. Aunt Polly's father, Triplett Meador, built