through South Carolina. Up in de northern part of de county they sho'
did destroy most all what folks had.

"You ain't gwine to believe dat de slaves on our plantation didn't stop
workin' for old marster, even when they was told dat they was free. Us
didn't want no more freedom than us was gittin' on our plantation
already. Us knowed too well dat us was well took care of, wid a plenty
of vittles to eat and tight log and board houses to live in. De slaves,
where I lived, knowed after de war dat they had abundance of dat
somethin' called freedom, what they could not wat, wear, and sleep in.
Yes, sir, they soon found out dat freedom ain't nothin', 'less you is
got somethin' to live on and a place to call home. Dis livin' on liberty
is lak young folks livin' on love after they gits married. It just don't
work. No, sir, it las' so long and not a bit longer. Don't tell me! It
sho' don't hold good when you has to work, or when you gits hongry. You
knows dat poor white folks and niggers has got to work to live,
regardless of liberty, love, and all them things. I believes a person
loves more better, when they feels good. I knows from experience dat
poor folks feels better when they has food in deir frame and a few dimes
to jingle in deir pockets. I knows what it means to be a nigger, wid
nothin'. Many times I had to turn every way I knowed to git a bite to
eat. I didn't care much 'bout clothes. What I needed in sich times was
food to keep my blood warm and gwine 'long.

"Boss, I don't want to think, and I knows I ain't gwine to say a word,
not a word of evil against deir dust lyin' over yonder in deir graves. I
was old enough to know what de passin' 'way of old marster and missus
meant to me. De very stream of lifeblood in me was dryin' up, it 'peared
lak. When marster died, dat was my fust real sorrow. Three years later,
missus passed 'way, dat was de time of my second sorrow. Then, I 'minded
myself of a little tree out dere in de woods in November. Wid every
sharp and cold wind of trouble dat blowed, more leaves of dat tree turnt
loose and went to de ground, just lak they was tryin' to follow her. It
seem lak, when she was gone, I was just lak dat tree wid all de leaves
gone, naked and friendless. It took me a long time to git over all dat;
same way wid de little tree, it had to pass through winter and wait on
spring to see life again.

"I has farmed 'most all my life and, if I was not so old, I would be
doin' dat same thi