ight was
mostly milk and bread. At noon we had vegetables, bread, meat and
milk. He gave us more and better food than he did his field hands. He
said he didn't want none of us to be stunted in our growing.

He bought our shoes for us but cloth for our clothes was spun and wove
right there on de farm. In summer us boys wore long tailed shirts and
no pants. I've plowed dat way a many a day. We was glad to see it git
warm in de spring so we could go barefooted and go wid out our pants.

Our overseers lived near de quarters and every morning about four o'
clock dey'd blow a horn [HW: to] wake us up. We knowed it meant to git
up and start de day. We was in de field by de time we could see. We
always fed our teams at night. We'd give 'em enough to keep 'em eating
all night so we wouldn't have to feed 'em in de morning.

Master Wash Foster and his family lived in de finest house in
Florence, Ala. It was a fine, large two-story house, painted white as
nearly all de houses was in dem days. Dere was big gallery in front
and back and a fine lawn wid big cedar and chestnut trees all 'round
de house.

He had a fine carriage and a pair of spanking bays dat cost him $500
apiece. Old Monroe was his coachman and dey made a grand sight. Monroe
kept de nickel plated harness and carriage trimmings shining and de
team was brushed slick and clean and dey sure stepped out.

We lived on de plantation about eight miles from town and we liked for
de family to come out to de farm. Dey was four children, Wash, Jack,
Sarah and Sally and dey always played with us. When dey come we always
had a regular feast as dey children would eat wid us children. Dey had
dishes though to eat out of. After dinner we would run and play Peep
Squirrel. I think dey call it hide-and-seek now.

My mother was a regular field hand till Miss Sarah decided to take her
into town to take care of her children. Dey all called her Frank
instead of Frances. I used to get to go to town to visit my mother and
we'd have glorious times I tell you.

We'd go out and gather hickory nuts, hazel nuts, pig nuts, and
walnuts. We'd all set around de fire and eat nuts and tell ghost tales
ever' night. Master Wash raised lots of apples too, and we had all
that we wanted of dem to eat.

I saw lots of Yankee soldiers. Sherman and Grant's armies marched by
our house and camped at DeCatur, Ala. It took dem three days to pass.
We wasn't afraid of dem.

In the second year of de war some Y