en hinges.
One side of our beds was bored in the walls and had one leg on the
other. Them white folks give each nigger family a blanket in winter.

I nussed 3 white chillun, Lulu, Helen Augusta, and Lola Sims. I done
this before that War that set us free. We kids use to make extra money
by toting gravel in our aprons. They'd give us dimes and silver
nickles.

Our clothes was wool and cotton mixed. We had red rustic shoes, soles
one-half inch thick. They'd go a-whick a-whack. The mens had pants wid
one seam and a right-hand pocket. Boys wore shirts.

We ate hominy, mush, grits and pone bread for the most part. Many of
them ate out of one tray with wooden spoons. All vittles for field
hands was fixed together.

Women broke in mules throwed 'em down and roped 'em. They'd do it
better'n men. While mammy made some hominy one day both my foots was
scalded and when they clipped them blisters, they jest put some cotton
round them and catched all dat yellow water and made me a yellow dress
out of it. This was 'way back yonder in slavery, before the War.

Whenever white folks had a baby born den all de old niggers had to
come thoo the room and the master would be over 'hind the bed and he'd
say, "Here's a new little mistress or master you got to work for."
You had to say, "Yessuh Master" and bow real low or the overseer would
crack you. Them was slavery days, dog days.

I remember in slavery time we had stages. Them devilish things had
jest as many wrecks as cars do today. Only thing, we jest didn't have
as many.

My mammy belonged to Master Colonel Sam Sims and his old mean wife
Julia. My pappy belonged to Master Meke Smith and his good wife
Harriett. She was sho' a good woman. I was named after her. Master Sam
and Master Meke was partners. Ever year them rich men would send so
many wagons to New Mexico for different things. It took 6 months to go
and come.

Slaves was punished by whip and starving. Decker was sho' a mean
slave-holder. He lived close to us. Master Sam didn't never whip me,
but Miss Julia whipped me every day in the mawning. During the war she
beat us so terrible. She say, "Your master's out fighting and losing
blood trying to save you from them Yankees, so you kin git your'n
here." Miss Julia would take me by my ears and butt my head against
the wall. She wanted to whip my mother, but old Master told her, naw
sir. When his father done give my mammy to Master Sam, he told him not
to beat her, and iffen