he old Master talked hard words, but the Mistress whipped. Lot's of
difference, and Uncle George ought to know, 'cause he's felt the lash
layed on pretty heavy when he was no older than kindergarten children
of today.

The Mistress owned the slaves and they couldn't be sold without her
say-so. That's the reason George was never sold, but the Master once
tried to sell him 'cause the beatings was breaking him down. Old
Mistress said "No", and used it for an excuse to whip his Mammy. Uncle
George remembers that, too.

They crossed her wrists and tied them with a stout cord. They made her
bend over so that her arms was sticking back between her legs and
fastened the arms with a stick so's she couldn't straighten up.

He saw the Mistress pull his Mammy's clothes over her head so's the
lash would reach the skin. He saw the overseer lay on the whip with
hide busting blows that left her laying, all a shiver, on the ground,
like a wounded animal dying from the chase.

He saw the Mistress walk away, laughing, while his Mammy screamed and
groaned--the old Master standing there looking sad and wretched, like
he could feel the blows on Mammy's bared back and legs as much as she.

The Mistress was a great believer in the power of punishment, and
Uncle George remembers the old log cabin jail built before the War,
right on the plantation, where runaway slaves were stowed away 'till
they would promise to behave themselves.

The old jail was full up during most of the War. Three runaway slaves
were still chained to its floor when the Master gave word the Negroes
were free.

They were Prince, Sanovey (his wife), and Henry, who were caught and
whipped by the patrollers, and then brought back to the plantation for
another beating before being locked in jail.

The Mistress ordered them chained, and the overseer would come every
morning with the same question: "Will you niggers promise not to
runaway no more?"

But they wouldn't promise. One at a time the overseer would loosen the
chains, and lead them from the jail to cut them with powerful blows
from the lash, then drag them back to be chained until the next day
when more lickings were given 'cause they wouldn't promise.

The jail was emptied on the day Master Roll called together all the
men, women and children to tell them they wasn't slaves no more. Uncle
George tells it this way:

"The Master he says we are all free, but it don't mean we is white.
And it don't mean we is e