n the
early part of the war, and after two years broke through the lines, and
joined the northern army, going back after emancipation.

Iris Cook
Dist 4
Floyd Co.

SLAVE STORY
THE STORY OF ALEX WOODSON
905 E. 4th St.
New Albany, Ind.

Observation of Writer

Alex Woodson is an old light skinned darkey, he looks to be between 80
and 85, it is hard to tell his age, and colored folks hardly ever do
know their correct age. I visited him in his little cottage and had a
long talk with him and his wife (his second). "Planted the fust one."
They run a little grocery in the front room of the cottage. But the
stock was sadly run down. Together with the little store and his
"pinshun" (old age pension) these old folks manage to get along.

Alex Woodson was born at Woodsonville, in Hart County, Kentucky, just
across Green River from Munfordville. He was a good sized boy, possibly
7 years or more when "Freedom wuz declared". His master was "Old Marse"
Sterrett who had about a 200 acre place and whose son in law Tom
Williams ran a store on this place. When Williams married Sterretts
daughter he was given Uncle Alex and his mother and brother as a
present. Williams was then known as "Young Master."

When war come Old Master gave his (Woodson's) mother a big roll of
bills, "greenbacks as big as Yo' arm", to keep for him, and was forced
to leave the neighborhood. After the war the old darkey returned the
money to him intact.

Uncle Alex remembers his mother taking him and other children and
running down the river bank and hiding in the woods all night when the
soldiers came. They were Morgan's men and took all available cattle and
horses in the vicinity and beat the woods looking for Yankee soldiers.
Uncle Alex said he saw Morgan at a distance on his big horse and he "wuz
shore a mighty fine looker."

Sometimes the Yankee soldiers would come riding along and they "took
things too".

When the War was over old Master came back home and the negroes
continued to live on at the place as usual, except for a few that wanted
to go North. Old Master lived in a great big house with all his family
and the Negroes lived in another good sized house or quarters, all
together. There were a few cabins.

"Barbecues! My we shore used to have 'em, yes ma'am, we did! Folks would
come for miles around. Would roast whole hawgs and cows, and folks would
sing, and eat and drink whiskey. The white folks had 'em but we helped
and had fun