e marster wuz gone de oberseer tried ter run de hawg
over gran'paw an' wuz cussin' him scan'lous. Gran'paw cussed back at
him an' den de oberseer started ter beat him. Gran'paw drawed de hoe
back ober his haid an' tells him dat if'en he comes a step closter dat
he am gwine ter bust his haid open. De oberseer comes on an' de hoe
'cends on his haid choppin' hit wide open.

"Ole marster ain't dar so young marster makes seberal of de slaves hold
him while he lashes him wid de cowhide. He cuts his back all ter pieces
an' den he throws him in de barn, chained down ter de flo'.

"Gran'mammy snuke out ter see him an' whisper ter him through de
cracks, but one night she goes out dar ter de barn an' he am gone. She
runs ter young marster an' axes him whar am gran'paw an' he tells her
dat he am sold ter a man from Mississippi an' dat if'en she whimpers
'bout him sellin' de black bastard dat he will whup her, den wash her
down wid vinegar, red pepper an' salt.

"Pore gran'maw am nigh 'bout crazy so she walks off'en de plantation.
Down on de aidge of de plantation runs de Neuse so gran'maw gits dar,
an' jumps in.

"My mammy am little an' she ain't got no brothers an' sisters so de
missus takes her in de house wid her. Dey said dat de ole marster had a
fit most when he fin's out 'bout what been done dar while he am gone,
so he am extra good ter mammy.

"At de surrender he calls his niggers in an' he says dat he will give
'em permission ter libe on de riber plantation, dey can build deir
shacks dar an' live dar durin' dere life time. Some of dem does dis,
an' fer seberal years dey stays on dar. Mammy said dat he tol' de Ku
Kluxes ter stay off'en his lan' too, dat he could manage his own
niggers."

L.E.

N.C. District: No. 2
Worker: T. Pat Matthews
No. Words: 1258
Subject: R.S. TAYLOR
Story teller: R.S. Taylor
Editor: Daisy Bailey Waitt

R.S. TAYLOR
710 South McDowell Street

"My name is Ransom Sidney Taylor. I was borned in slavery the 5th day
of January, 1857. Adam Taylor was my father and Mary Taylor my mother.
My brothers were: William H., Jesse, and Louis; sisters: Virginia,
Annie, and Isabella; all born in slavery. We all belonged to John Cane.
He owned a plantation on Ramkatte Road[5] near Yates Mill, between
Yates Mill and Penny's Mill. There was a whiskey still at Penny's Mill.

"There were sixty slaves in all, but Marster only kept seven on the
pl