come over on a slave ship from Africa about twenty year
before I was born on the William Driver plantation down in Florida. My
folks didn't know each other in Africa but my old Mammy told me she
was captured by Negro slave hunters over there and brought to some
coast town where the white buyers took her and carried her to America.

She was kinder a young gal then and was sold to some white folks when
the boat landed here. Dunno who they was. The same thing happen to my
pappy. Must have been about the same time from the way they tells it.
Maybe they was on the [HW: same] boat, I dunno.

They was traded around and then mammy was sold to William Driver. The
plantation was down in Florida. Another white folks had a plantation
close by. Mister Simms was the owner. Bill Simms--that's the name
pappy kept after the War.

Somehow or other mammy and pappy meets 'round the place and the first
thing happens they is in love. That's what mammy say. And the next
thing happen is me. They didn't get married. The Master's say it is
alright for them to have a baby. They never gets married, even after
the War. Just jumped the broomstick and goes to living with somebody
else I reckon.

Then when I was four year old along come the War and Master Driver
takes up his slaves and leaves the Florida country and goes way out to
Texas. Mammy goes along, I goes along, all the children goes along. I
don't remember nothing about the trip but I hears mammy talk about it
when I gets older.

Texas, that was the place, down near Fairfield. That's where I learn
to do the chores. But the work was easy for the Master was kind as old
Mammy herself and he never give me no hard jobs that would wear me
down. All the slaves on our place was treated good. All the time.
They didn't whip. The Master feeds all the slaves on good clean foods
and lean meats so's they be strong and healthy.

Master Driver had four children, Mary, Julia, Frank and George. Every
one of them children kind and good just the old Master. They was never
mean and could I find some of 'em now hard times would leave me on the
run! They'd help this old man get catched up on his eating!

Makes me think of the old song we use to sing:

Don't mind working from Sun to Sun,
Iffen you give me my dinner--
When the dinner time comes!

Nowadays I gets me something to eat when I can catch it. The trouble
is sometimes I don't catch! But that ain't telling about the slave
days.

In t