Orford was one of
those who remained. While the Yankee soldiers were in the vicinity of
the Orford plantation Mr. Orford, the owner of the plantation, hid in
the woods and had some of the slaves bring his food, etc. to him.

Mr. Orford was thirty-five years of age when he left the plantation and
at that time he married a twelve year old girl. Since that time he has
been the father of twenty-three children, some of whom are dead and some
of whom are still alive.

EX-SLAVE INTERVIEW

ANNA PARKES, Age 86
150 Strong Street
Athens, Georgia

Written by:
Sarah H. Hall
Federal Writers' Project
Athens, Georgia

Edited by:
John N. Booth
District Supervisor
Federal Writers' Project
Residencies 6 & 7
Augusta, Georgia

Anna Parkes' bright eyes sparkled as she watched the crowd that thronged
the hallway outside the office where she awaited admittance. A trip to
the downtown section is a rare event in the life of an 86 year old
Negress, and, accompanied by her daughter, she was making the most of
this opportunity to see the world that lay so far from the door of the
little cottage where she lives on Strong Street. When asked if she liked
to talk of her childhood days before the end of the Civil War, she
eagerly replied: "'Deed, I does." She was evidently delighted to have
found someone who actually wanted to listen to her, and proudly
continued:

"Dem days sho' wuz sompin' to talk 'bout. I don't never git tired of
talkin' 'bout 'em. Paw, he wuz Olmstead Lumpkin, and Ma wuz Liza
Lumpkin, and us b'longed to Jedge Joe Henry Lumpkin. Us lived at de
Lumpkin home place on Prince Avenue. I wuz born de same week as Miss
Callie Cobb, and whilst I don't know z'ackly what day I wuz born, I kin
be purty sho' 'bout how many years ole I is by axin' how ole Miss Callie
is. Fust I 'members much 'bout is totin' de key basket 'round 'hind Ole
Miss when she give out de vittals. I never done a Gawd's speck of work
but dat. I jes' follered 'long atter Ole Miss wid 'er key basket.

"Did dey pay us any money? Lawsy, Lady! What for? Us didn't need no
money. Ole Marster and Ole Miss all time give us plenty good sompin'
teat, and clo'es, and dey let us sleep in a good cabin, but us did have
money now and den. A heap of times us had nickles and dimes. Dey had
lots of comp'ny at Ole Marster's, and us allus act mighty spry waitin'
on 'em, so dey would 'member us when dey lef'. Effen it wuz money dey
gimme, I jes' couldn't wait to run to