s Easter. Dey was
both raised 'round Webber's Falls somewhere. I had two brothers, Silas
and George, dat belong to Mr. George Holt in Webber's Falls town. I
got a pass and went to see dem sometimes, and dey was both treated
mighty fine.

The Big House was a double log wid a big hall and a stone chimney but
no porches, wid two rooms at each end, one top side of de other. I
thought it was mighty big and fine.

Us slaves lived in log cabins dat only had one room and no windows so
we kept de doors open most of de time. We had home-made wooden beds
wid rope springs, and de little ones slept on trundle beds dat was
home made too.

At night dem trundles was jest all over de floor, and in de morning we
shove dem back under de big beds to git dem out'n de way. No nails in
none of dem nor in de chairs and tables. Nails cost big money and old
Master's blacksmith wouldn't make none 'cepting a few for old Master
now and den, so we used wooden dowels to put things together.

They was so many of us for dat little field we never did have to work
hard. Up at five o'clock and back in sometimes about de middle of de
evening, long before sundown, unless they was a crop to git in before
it rain or something like dat.

When crop was laid by de slaves jest work 'round at dis and dat and
keep tol'able busy. I never did have much of a job, jest tending de
calves mostly. We had about twenty calves and I would take dem out and
graze 'em while some grown-up negro was grazing de cows so as to keep
de cows milk. I had me a good blaze-faced horse for dat.

One time old Master and another man come and took some calves off and
Pappy say old Master taking dem off to sell. I didn't know what "sell"
meant and I ast Pappy, "Is he going to bring 'em back when he git
through selling them?" I never did see no money neither, until time of
de War or a little before.

Master Joe was sure a good provider, and we always had plenty of corn
pone, sow belly and greens, sweet potatoes, cow peas and cane
molasses. We even had brown sugar and cane molasses most of de time
before de War. Sometimes coffee, too.

De clothes wasn't no worry neither. Everything we had was made by my
folks. My aunt done de carding and spinning and my mammy done de
weaving and cutting and sewing, and my pappy could make cowhide shoes
wid wooden pegs. Dey was for bad winter only.

Old Master bought de cotton in Ft. Smith because he didn't raise no
cotton, but he had a few sheep and