our every day to play with it.
When the War ended Mistress O'Neal wanted to take me with her to
Richmond, Virginia, but my people wouldn't let me go. I wanted to stay
with her, she was so good, and she promised to come back for me when I
get older, but she never did.

All the time I was at the fort I hear the bugles and see the soldiers
marching around, but never did I see any battles. The fighting must
have been too far away.

Master Rogers kept all our family together, but my folks have told me
about how the slaves was sold. One of my aunts was a mean, fighting
woman. She was to be sold and when the bidding started she grabbed a
hatchet, laid her hand on a log and chopped it off. Then she throwed
the bleeding hand right in her master's face. Not long ago I hear she
is still living in the country around Nowata, Oklahoma.

Sometimes I would try to get mean, but always I got me a whipping for
it. When I was a little girl, moving around from one family to
another, I done housework, ironing, peeling potatoes and helping the
main cook. I went barefoot most of my life, but the master would get
his shoes from the Government at Fort Gibson.

I wore cotton dresses, and the Mistress wore long dresses, with
different colors for Sunday clothes, but us slaves didn't know much
about Sunday in a religious way. The Master had a brother who used to
preach to the Negroes on the sly. One time he was caught and the
Master whipped him something awful.

Years ago I married Joe Bean. Our children died as babies. Twenty year
ago Joe Bean and I separated for good and all.

The good Lord knows I'm glad slavery is over. Now I can stay peaceful
in one place--that's all I aim to do.

Oklahoma Writers' Project
Ex-Slaves
[Date stamp: AUG 16 1937]

PRINCE BEE
Age 85 yrs.
Red Bird, Okla.

I don't know how old I was when I found myself standing on the toppen
part of a high stump with a lot of white folks walking around looking
at the little scared boy that was me. Pretty soon the old master,
(that's my first master) Saul Nudville, he say to me that I'm now
belonging to Major Bee and for me to get down off the auction block.

I do that. Major Bee he comes over and right away I know I'm going to
like him. Then when I get to the Major's plantation and see his oldest
daughter Mary and all her brothers and sisters, and see how kind she
is to all them and to all the colored children, why, I just keeps
right on liking 'em more all th