tmas and we
lived on Sampers' farm.

We lived so far out, we couldn't go to school, 'though they was for
us. We didn't own no land. Didn't nobody learn me to read and write.

Abe Lincoln was a good man. It was through Mr. Lincoln that God fit to
free us. I don't know much 'bout Jeff Davis and don't care nothing
'bout him. Booker T. Washington built that school through God. He used
to live in a cabin jest lak I done. He was sho' a great man.

I married Trole Kemp in 1883. I 'mind you they didn't marry in
slavery, they jest took up. Master jest give a permit. I am the mother
of 10 chillun and 5 grandchillun. Four of my chillun died young. Them
what's living is doing different things sech as: writing policy,
working on made work, housework, government clerk and hotel maid. One
is in the pen.

Oklahoma Writers' Project
Ex-Slaves
[Date stamp: AUG 13 1937]

AMANDA OLIVER
Age 80 yrs.
Oklahoma City, Okla.

I 'membuh what my mother say--I was born November 9, 1857, in
Missouri. I was 'bout eight years old, when she was sold to a master
named Harrison Davis. They said he had two farms in Missouri, but when
he moved to northern Texas he brought me, my mother, Uncle George,
Uncle Dick and a cullud girl they said was 15 with 'im. He owned 'bout
6 acres on de edge of town near Sherman, Texas, and my mother and 'em
was all de slaves he had. They said he sold off some of de folks.

We didn't have no overseers in northern Texas, but in southern Texas
dey did. Dey didn't raise cotton either; but dey raised a whole lots
of corn. Sometime de men would shuck corn all night long. Whenever dey
was going to shuck all night de women would piece quilts while de men
shuck de corn and you could hear 'em singing and shucking corn. After
de cornshucking, de cullud folks would have big dances.

Master Davis lived in a big white frame house. My mother lived in the
yard in a big one-room log hut with a brick chimney. De logs was
"pinted" (what dey call plastered now with lime). I don't know whether
young folks know much 'bout dat sort of thing now.

I slept on de floor up at de "Big House" in de white woman's room on a
quilt. I'd git up in de mornings, make fires, put on de coffee, and
tend to my little brother. Jest do little odd jobs sech as that.

We ate vegetables from de garden, sech as that. My favorite dish is
vegetables now.

I don't remember seeing any slaves sold. My mother said dey sold 'em
on de block in Kentucky wh