t like we'd
been, for our feed and clothes. Mammy got a wagon and we traveled
around a few days and go to Fort Gibson. When we git to Fort Gibson
they was a lot of negroes there, and they had a camp meeting and I was
baptized. It was in the Grand River close to the ford, and winter
time. Snow on the ground and the water was muddy and all full of
pieces of ice. The place was all woods, and the Cherokees and the
soldiers all come down to see the baptizing.

We settled down a little ways above Fort Gibson. Mammy had the wagon
and two oxen, and we worked a good size patch there until she died,
and then I git married to Cal Robertson to have somebody to take care
of me. Cal Robertson was eighty-nine years old when I married him
forty years ago, right on this porch. I had on my old clothes for the
wedding, and I aint had any good clothes since I was a little slave
girl. Then I had clean warm clothes and I had to keep them clean, too!

I got my allotment as a Cherokee Freedman, and so did Cal, but we
lived here at this place because we was too old to work the land
ourselves. In slavery time the Cherokee negroes do like anybody else
when they is a death--jest listen to a chapter in the Bible and all
cry. We had a good song I remember. It was "Don't Call the Roll,
Jesus, Because I'm Coming Home." The only song I remember from the
soldiers was: "Hang Jeff Davis to a Sour Apple Tree", and I remember
that because they said he used to be at Fort Gibson one time. I don't
know what he done after that.

I don't know about Robert Lee, but I know about Lee's Creek.

I been a good Christian ever since I was baptized, but I keep a little
charm here on my neck anyways, to keep me from having the nose bleed.
Its got a buckeye and a lead bullet in it. I had a silver dime on it,
too, for a long time, but I took it off and got me a box of snuff. I'm
glad the War's over and I am free to meet God like anybody else, and
my grandchildren can learn to read and write.

Oklahoma Writers' Project
Ex-slaves
[Date stamp: AUG 18 1937]

HARRIET ROBINSON
Age 95 yrs.
500 Block N. Fonshill
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

I was born September 1, 1842, in Bastrop, Texas, on Colorado River. My
pappy was named Harvey Wheeler and my mammy was named Carolina Sims.
My brothers and sisters was named Alex, Taylor, Mary, Cicero,
Tennessee, Sarah, Jeff, Ella and Nora. We lived in cedar log houses
with dirt floors and double chimneys, and doors hung on wood