.

Charlie recalls very well when the Yankees came through. The first thing
they did when they reached 'ole Master's' place was to break open the
smokehouse and throw the best hams and shoulders out to the darkies, but
as soon as the Yankees passed, the white folks made the "Niggers" take
"all dey had'nt et up" back to the smokehouse. "Yes, Miss, we had plenty
of liquor. Ole Master always kept kegs of it in the cellar and big
'Jimmy-john's' full in the house, and every Saturday night he'd give us
darkies a dram, but nobody nevah seed no drunk Nigger lak dey does now."

Charlie's mother used to give her "chillun" "burnt whiskey" every
morning "to start the day off." This burnt whiskey gave them "long
life".

Another thing that Charlie recalls about the Yankees coming through, was
that they took the saddles off their "old sore back horses", turned them
loose, and caught some of Master's fine "hosses", threw the saddles over
them and rode away.

Charlie said though "ole Marster" "whupped" when it was necessary, but
he was not "onmerciful" like some of the other "ole Marsters" were, but
the "paterolers would sho lay it on if they caught a Nigger off his home
plantation without a pass." The passes were written statements or
permits signed by the darkies' owner, or the plantation overseer.

Charlie is very feeble and unable to work. The Griffin Relief
Association [TR: "furnishes him his sustenance" crossed out, "sees to
him" or possibly "supports him" written in.]

PLANTATION LIFE AS VIEWED BY EX-SLAVE

NICEY KINNEY, Age 86
R.F.D. #3
Athens, Ga.

Written by:
Miss Grace McCune
Athens

Edited by:
Mrs. Sarah H. Hall
Athens

and
John N. Booth
District Supervisor
Federal Writers' Proj.
Res. 6 & 7
Augusta, Ga.

Sept. 28, 1938

A narrow path under large water oaks led through a well-kept yard where
a profusion of summer flowers surrounded Nicey Kinney's two-story frame
house. The porch floor and a large portion of the roof had rotted down,
and even the old stone chimney at one end of the structure seemed to
sag. The middle-aged mulatto woman who answered the door shook her head
when asked if she was Nicey Kinney. "No, mam," she protested, "but dat's
my mother and she's sick in bed. She gits mighty lonesome lyin' dar in
de bed and she sho does love to talk. Us would be mighty proud if you
would come in and see her."

Nicey was propped up in bed and, although the heat of the September day
was oppress