of wheat straw but de pillows on de bed was cotton. I does 'member dat
mammy had a chicken feather pillow she made from de feathers she saved
at de kitchen.

"My grandpappy name Warren and grandmammy name Maria. De rule on de
place was: 'Wake up de slaves at daylight, begin work when they can see,
and quit work when they can't see'. But they was careful of de rule dat
say: 'You mustn't work a child, under twelve years old, in de field'.

"My master's fust wife, I heard him say, was Mistress Gilmore. Dere was
two chillun by her. Master Ed, dat live in a palace dat last time I
visit Rock Hill and go to 'member myself to him; then dere was Miss Mary
dat marry her cousin, Dr. Jim Mobley. They had one child, Captain Fred,
dat took de Catawba rifles to Cuba and whip Spain for blowin' up de
Maine. You say you rather I talk 'bout old master and de high spots?
Well, Master Biggers had a big plantation and a big mansion four miles
southeast of Chester. He buy my mammy and her chillun in front of de
court house door in Chester, at de sale of de Clifton Estate. Then he
turn 'round and buy my pappy dere, 'cause my mammy and sister Lizzie was
cryin' 'bout him have to leave them. Mind you I wasn't born then.
Marster Biggers was a widower then and went down and courted de widow
Gibson, who had a plantation and fifty slaves 'tween Kershaw and Camden.
Dere is where I was born.

"Marster had one child, a boy, by my mistress, Miss Sallie. They call
him Black George. Him live long enough to marry a angel, Miss Kate
McCrorey. They had four chillun. Dere got to be ninety slaves on de
place befo' war come on. One time I go wid pappy to de Chester place.
Seem lak more slaves dere than on de Gibson place. Us was fed up to de
neck all de time, though us never had a change of clothes. Us smell
pretty rancid maybe, in de winter time, but in de summer us no wear very
much. Girls had a slip on and de boys happy in their shirt tails.

"Kept fox hounds on both places. Old Butler was de squirrel and 'possum
dog. What I like best to eat? Marster, dere is nothin' better than
'possum and yallow sweet 'taters. Right now, I wouldn't turn dat down
for pound cake and Delaware grape wine, lak my mistress use to eat and
sip while she watch my mammy and old Aunt Tilda run de spinnin' wheels.

"De overseer on de place was name Mr. Mike Melton. No sir, he poor man
but him come from good folks, not poor white trash. But they was cussed
by marster, when after de