n ol' man Billy Johnson's plantation--thousan's
acres of groun' and plenty of niggahs. My pappy he allus b'long to ol'
man Billy. He not sich a bad man but de Lawd knows I's seed bettah
ones. When I's right sma't size Missy Mixon, she was Marse Billy's wife
sistah, she get Marse Billy to let her hab me. She war a good woman.
She took me to town to lib and make a little white girl outten me.
Y'all knows what I means; I got treated moh like de white folks den de
res' of de' niggahs.

"But 'twarn't long afore Missy send me to New 'Leans to nurse de sick
chile of her sistah. I never war satisfi' down dar. Evverbody so
differen'. But de nex' year we go back to Alabam'.

"I went to Marse Ellis Mixon's, he tubble mean to his niggahs. But I
belong to de Missus, she allus treat me good. All de little niggahs
have to learn to work when dey little; get out'n pull weeds; dey neber
had no time to play. Most dem niggahs was scared to death, jes like de
ones on Billy Johnson's plantation. Dey know dey get whupped jes like
a mule iffen dey act like dey don' wanna wurk. Dey neber get much to
eat, jes side meat, co'n bread and 'lasses. Ol' Billy he had overseers
whut was mean to de pore niggahs. Sometime dey ties dem up an' dey
strip dem and dey whups dem wif cow hide, else dey lets other niggahs
do it.

"All de niggahs have to go to church, jes lik' de white fokes. Dey have
a part of de church for demselfs. After de wah we hab a church of our
own. All de niggahs love to go to church an' sing. I mind a lot of de
songs we used ter sing in de fiel's. I mind my pappy used ter sing in
de fiel'. 'Git on bo'd, little chillun, git on bo'd.' Sometimes day
babtiz in de ribber. Den dey sing:

"'I wanna be ready
I wanna be ready
I wanna be ready good Lawd to walk in Jarusalem jes like John.
John say de city was jes four square,
To walk in Jarusalem jes like John.
But I'll meet my mothah and fathah dar,
To walk in Jarusalem, jes like John.'

"I 'members 'bout de paddyrollers. De niggahs hab' to get a pass from
de massa or de missus if dey go ennywhar. De paddyrollers jes lik'
police. 'Bout dozen of dem ride 'long togedder. Fus thing dey say:
'Whar yo' pass?' Den iffen yo' hab one dey lets you go but iffen you
don' hab one dey strips yo' to de waist and dey lams yo' good till de
blood comes. Sometime dey rolls you over a barrel and lams you while
de barrel rolls.

"I mind a tale my pappy tell 'bout one time he se