e longest living.
The others all gone to join Mammy. She was named Mary White, the same
name as her Mistress, the wife of my first master, James White.

About my pappy. I never hear his name and I never see him, not even
when I was the least child around the old Master's place 'way back
there in Georgia more'n one-hundred twenty years ago!

Mammy try to make it clear to me about my daddy. She married like the
most of the slaves in them days.

He was a slave on another plantation. One day he come for to borrow
something from Master White. He sees a likely looking gal, and the way
it work out that gal was to be my Mammy. After that he got a paper
saying it was all right for him to be off his own plantation. He come
a'courting over to Master White's. After a while he talks with the
Master. Says he wants to marry the gal, Mary. The Master says it's all
right if it's all right with Mary and the other white folks. He finds
out it is and they makes ready for the wedding.

Mary says a preacher wedding is the best but Master say he can marry
them just as good. There wasn't no Bible, just an old Almanac. Master
White read something out of that. That's all and they was married. The
wedding was over!

Every night he gets a leave paper from his Master and come over to be
with his wife, Mary. The next morning he leaves her to work in the
fields. Then one night Mammy says he don't come home. The next night
is the same, and the next. From then on Mammy don't see him no
more--never find out what happen to my pappy.

When I was born Mammy named me John, John White. She tells me I was
the blackest 'white' boy she ever see. I stays with her till I was
eleven year old. The Master wrote down in the book when I was born,
April 10, 1816, and I know it's right. Mammy told me so, and Master
told me when I was eleven and he sold me to Sarah Davenport.

Mistress Sarah lived in Texas. Master White always selling and trading
to folks all over the country. I hates to leave on account of Mammy
and the good way Master White fared the slaves--they was good people.
Mammy cry but I has to go just the same. The tears are on my face a
long time after the leaving. I was hoping all the time to see Mammy
again, but that's the last time.

We travels and travels on the stage coach. Once we cross the Big River
(Mississippi) on the boat and pick up with the horses on the other
side. A new outfit and we rides some more. Seems like we going to wear
out all