n Fairfield County and dere I come into dis world,
eighty-three years ago, 10th day of April past.

"My pappy name just Andy but after de freedom, he took de name of Andrew
Watts. My old mammy was Harriett but she come to you if you calls her
Hattie. My brudders was Jake and Rafe. My sister name Charity. They all
dead and gone to glory long time ago; left me here 'lone by myself and
I's settin' here tellin' you 'bout them.

"My mammy was de cook at de 'Big House' for marster, Miss Nancy, and de
chillun. Let me see if I can call them over in my mind. Dere was Marse
John, went off to de war, color bearer at Seven Pines. Yes sir, him was
killed wid de colors a flyin' in his hand. Heard tell of it many times.
He lies right now in de old Buck Church graveyard. De pine trees, seven
of them, cry and sob 'round him every August 6th; dat's de day he was
killed. Oh, my God!

"Marse James went wid old Colonel Rion. They say he got shot but bullets
couldn't kill him. No, bless God! Him comed back. Then come Marse
Clarence. He went wid Captain Jim Macfie, went through it all and didn't
get a scratch. Next was Miss Jesse. Then come Marse Horace, and Miss
Nina. Us chillun all played together. Marse Horace is livin' yet and is
a fine A. R.P. preacher of de Word. Miss Nina a rich lady, got
plantation but live 'mong de big bugs in Winnsboro. She married Mr.
Castles; she is a widow now. He was a good man, but he dead now.

"De one I minds next, is Charlie. I nussed him. He married Colonel
Province's daughter. Dat's all I can call to mind, right now.

"Course de white folks I b'longs to, had more slaves than I got fingers
and toes; whole families of them. De carpenter and de blacksmith on de
place made de bedsteads. Us had good wheat straw mattresses to sleep on;
cotton quilts, spreads, and cotton pillows. No trouble to sleep but it
was hard to hear dat white overseer say at day break: 'Let me hear them
foots hit de floor and dat befo' I go! Be lively! Hear me?' And you had
to answer, 'Yas sah', befo' he'd move on to de nex' house. I does
'member de parts of de bed, was held together by wooden pins. I sho'
'members dat!

"Mammy Harriett was de cook. I didn't done no work but 'tend to de
chillun and tote water.

"Money? Go 'way from here, boss! Lord, no sir, I never saw no money.
What I want wid it anyhow?

"How did they feed us? Had better things to eat then, than now and more
different kind of somethin's. Us had pears, 'lasses, s