ah she cried. Then Mahstah
Everett say, 'Why yoh all cry?--Yoh cry I whip anothah of these young
uns. She try to stop. He whipt 'nother. He say, 'Ifn yoh all don' stop,
yoh be whipt too!' and mothah she trien to stop but teahs roll out, so
Mahstah Everett whip her too.

"I wanted to visit mothah when I belong to Mahst' Eubanks, but Becky
say, 'Yoh all best not see youh mothah, or yoh wan' to go all de time'
then explaining, 'she wan' me to fohgit mothah, but I nevah could. When
I cm back from d' ahmy, I go home to mothah and say 'don' y'know me?'
She say, 'No, I don' know you.' I say, 'Yoh don' know me?' She say, 'No,
ah don' know yoh.' I say, 'I'se John.' Den she cry and say how ahd growd
and she thought I'se daid dis long time. I done 'splain how the many
fights I'se in wit no scratch and she bein' happy."

Speaking of Abraham Lincoln's death, he remarked, "Sho now, ah remembah
dat well. We all feelin' sad and all d'soldiers had wreaths on der
guns."

Upon his return from the army he married a young negress he had seen
some time previous at which time he had vowed some day to make her his
wife. He was married Christmas day, 1866. For a number of years he lived
on a farm of his own near Glasgow. Later he moved with his family to
Louisville where he worked in a lumber yard. In 1923, two years after
the death of his wife, he came to Gary, when he retired. He is now
living with his daughter, Mrs. Sloss, 2713 Harrison Boulevard, Gary.

Cecil C. Miller
Dist. #3
Tippecanoe Co.

INTERVIEW WITH MR. JOHN W. FIELDS, EX-SLAVE OF CIVIL WAR PERIOD
September 17, 1937

[Illustration: John W. Fields]

John W. Fields, 2120 North Twentieth Street, Lafayette, Indiana, now
employed as a domestic by Judge Burnett is a typical example of a fine
colored gentleman, who, despite his lowly birth and adverse
circumstances, has labored and economized until he has acquired a
respected place in his home community. He is the owner of three
properties; un-mortgaged, and is a member of the colored Baptist Church
of Lafayette. As will later be seen his life has been one of constant
effort to better himself spiritually and physically. He is a fine
example of a man who has lived a morally and physically clean life. But,
as for his life, I will let Mr. Fields speak for himself:

"My name is John W. Fields and I'm eighty-nine (89) years old. I was
born March 27, 1848 in Owensburg, Ky. That's 115 miles below Louisville,
Ky. There was 11