ig to go up the chimneys I
went back to Rose plantation. My father was still overseer or driver. I
drove a cart and plowed. Afterwards I worked in the phosphate mines,
then came back here to take care of the garden and be caretaker. I
planted all these Cherokee roses you see round here, and I had a big
lawn of Charleston grass. I aint able to keep it like I used to."

Henry is intensely religious. He says "the people don't notice God now
because they're free." "Some people say there aint no hell," he
continued, "but I think there must be some kind of place like that,
because you got to go some place when you leave this earth, and you got
to go to the master that you served when you were here. If you serve God
and obey His commandments then you go to Him, but if you don't pay any
attention to what he tells you in His Book, just do as you choose and
serve the devil, then you got to go to him. And it don't make any
difference if you're poor or rich, it don't matter what the milliner
(millionaire) man says."

He seemed so proud of his garden, with its broad view across the Ashley
River, showing his black walnut, pear and persimmon trees, grape vines
and roses, that the writer said, "Henry, you know a poet has said that
we are nearer God in the garden than anywhere else on earth." "Well
ma'am, you see," he replied, with a winning smile, "that's where God put
us in the first place."

Project #1655
Augustus Ladson
Charleston, S. C.

EX-SLAVE BORN 1857
GRAND PARENTS CAME DIRECTLY FROM AFRICA

I was nickname' durin' the days of slavery. My name was Henry but they
call' me Toby. My sister, Josephine, too was nickname' an' call' Jessee.
Our mistress had a cousin by that name. My oldes' bredder was a Sergeant
on the Charleston Police Force around 1868. I had two other sister',
Louise an' Rebecca.

My firs' owner was Arthur Barnwell Rose. Then Colonel A. G. Rhodes
bought the plantation who sol' it to Capen Frederick W. Wagener. James
Sottile then got in possession who sol' it to the DeCostas, an' a few
weeks ago Mrs. Albert Callitin Simms, who I'm tol' is a former member of
Congress, bought it. Now I'm wonderin' if she is goin' to le' me stay. I
hope so 'cus I'm ol' now en can't work.

My pa was name' Abraham Brown; he was bo'n on Coals Islan' in Beaufort
County. Colonel Rhodes bought him for his driver, then he move here. I
didn't know much 'bout him; he didn't live so long afta slavery 'cus he
was ol.