although Mr. Pye's uncle was given the privilege of owning a rice patch,
which he worked at night.

In every slave home was found a wooden loom which was operated by hands
and feet, and from which the cloth for their clothing was made. When the
work in the fields was finished women were required to come home and
spin one cut (thread) at night. Those who were not successful in
completing this work were punished the next morning. Men wore cotton
shirts and pants which were dyed different colors with red oak bark,
alum and copper. Copper produced an "Indigo blue color." "I have often
watched dye in the process of being made," remarked Mr. Pye. Mr. Pye's
father was a shoemaker and made all shoes needed on the plantation. The
hair was removed from the hides by a process known as tanning. Red oak
bark was often used for it produced an acid which proved very effective
in tanning hides. Slaves were given shoes every three months.

To see that everyone continued working an overseer rode over the
plantation keeping check on the workers. If any person was caught
resting he was given a sound whipping. Mr. Pye related the following
incident which happened on the Ealey plantation. "A young colored girl
stopped to rest for a few minutes and my uncle stopped also and spoke to
her. During this conversation the overseer came up and began whipping
the girl with a "sapling tree." My uncle became very angry and picked up
an axe and hit the overseer in the head, killing him. The mistress was
very fond of my uncle and kept him hid until she could "run him."
Running a slave was the method they used in sending a slave to another
state in order that he could escape punishment and be sold again. You
were only given this privilege if it so happened that you were cared for
by your mistress and master."

Overseers on the Ealey plantation were very cruel and whipped slaves
unmercifully. Another incident related by Mr. Pye was as follows:

"My mother resented being whipped and would run away to the woods and
often remained as long as twelve months at a time. When the strain of
staying away from her family became too great, she would return home. No
sooner would she arrive than the old overseer would tie her to a peach
tree and whip her again. The whipping was done by a "Nigger Driver," who
followed the overseer around with a bull whip; especially for this
purpose. The largest man on the plantation was chosen to be the "Nigger
Driver."

"Every sla