ty, in de lower section of Cross Keys. Marse Sexton and all dem good
folks in lower Keys says dat I sho is 88. Give my name right flat, it's
George Briggs; giving it round, it like dis, George McDuffie Briggs. My
papa's name was Ike Wilburn, and my mother's name was Margaret Briggs.
Pa 'longed to Marse Lige Wilburn. Mama 'longed to Jesse (Black Jesse)
Briggs. Dey both born and raised in Union County. Dese was my brothers
and sisters, coming in de order dey was born to my parents in: Charlie,
Dave, Aaron, Tom, Noah, Charlotte, Polly, Fannie, Mattie, Horace,
Cassie. I'm de oldest, and Cassie and me lives in Union County. Fannie
and Mattie lives in Asheville, and de rest is done journeyed to de
Promise Land. Yes Lawd, to de Promise Land.

"Marse and Missus was good to us all. Missus name was Nancy. She die
early and her grave is in Cross Keys at de Briggs graveyard. Be still!
Lemme git my mind together so dat I don't git mixed up and can git you
de Briggses together. Here 'tis: Cheney and Lucindy, Lucindy married a
Floyd from Spartanburg, and de Floyds lived at de Burn't factory. Cheney
Briggs had a son, Henry Briggs.

"Not so fast, fer I'se gwine to start way back, dat time when us was
lil' darky boys way back in slavery. We started to work wid de marster's
mules and hosses. When us was real little, we played hoss. Befo' Cheney
Briggs went to Arkansas he was our play hoss. His brother, Henry, was de
wagoner and I was de mule. Henry was little and he rid our backs
sometimes. Henry rid old man Sam, sometimes, and old man Sam jes' holler
and haw haw at us chilluns. Dis was in sech early childhood dat it is
not so I can 'zactly map out de exact age us was den; anyway, from dis
we rid de gentle hosses and mules and larn't how to feed dem. Every word
dat I tells you is de truth, and I is got to meet dat word somewhars
else; and fer dat reason, de truth is all dat dis old man ever tells.

"In dat day we lived in a log cabin or house. Sometimes us never had
nothing to do. Our house had only one room, but some of de houses had
two rooms. Our'n had a winder, a do', and a common fireplace. Now dey
makes a fireplace to scare de wood away. In old days dey made fireplaces
to take care of de chilluns in de cold weather. It warm de whole house,
'cause it was so big and dar was plenty wood. Wood wasn't no problem
den, and it ain't no problem yet out in de lower Keys. In town it is,
and I ain't guessing. I done seed so.

"I sho can hist