dat whupped an' de ones dat got whupped are mos' all dead. I
lerned to read an' write since slavery. I remember de Yankees. Dey give
us chilluns hardtack. Dey had cans on dere backs an' guns, blue clothes
an' brass buttons on dere clothes. Dey had covered wagons in front an'
dey was walkin'. I remember seein' dem kill a hog and take part of de
hog an' carry it off on dere backs.

"De only time I saw anything in de slave situation dat made a big
impression on my mind was when Marster Thomas tied my Aunt Anne Thomas
to a peach tree and whupped her. I will never forgit how she cried.
Another thing I 'members, my uncle teached me to cuss folks. His name
was Needum Thomas. I can remember fore I could walk better than I can
remember happenings now.

"Atter de war my daddy took mother an' moved to Dr. Leach's in Wake
County, next year we went to Mrs. Betsy Jordan's plantation in Johnston
County. The fourth year atter the war they put me to work. We stayed
with the Jordans several years then we moved to Mr. Thomas' where my
aunt was whupped in slavery time an' de marster dat owned some of our
people in slavery time. We stayed there a few years. Then we moved to
John Avery's near Smithfield. Father bought a place there an' paid for
it.

"Father believed in whuppin like de white folks did. He cut de blood
out of me wid a switch an' scarred me up an' I left him. When I was
twenty-one, a free man, I went back an' paid father for every day I was
away from him from de time I ran away at 16 years old till I was
twenty-one. I owed him dat 'cause I was his until I was free. I
believes dat is why God has allowed me to live such a long time, 'cause
I paid a just debt. Daddy said before he died I had done more for him
dan de other chilluns. He whupped me too much but atter all he was my
father an' I loved him an' paid him all I owed him for de time I was
away.

"I married three times in Raleigh. I married Juliva Smith, she lived
one and one half years. We had one child dat lived six days. I have no
more chilluns. I married Mahalda Rand. She lived a year and three
months and the third an' last time I married Maggie Taylor. I lived
with her eleven years an' she died. I am single now.

"Haywood Smith was my first father-in-law. He is 'bout 108 years ole.
He lives at de County home.

"I am livin' right in dis world tryin' to be ready when God calls me.
Slavery was bad. Workin' the colored people over two hundred years
without giving 'e