m. Sometimes they could not ketch a nigger they were
after. Yes, they taught us to say pappy an' mammy in them days.

I remember the coon and possum hunts an' the rabbits we caught in gums.
I remember killin' birds at night with thorn brush. When bird blindin'
we hunt 'em at night with lights from big splinters. We went to grass
patches, briars, and vines along the creeks an' low groun's where they
roosted, an' blinded 'em an' killed 'em when they come out. We cooked
'em on coals, and I remember making a stew and having dumplings cooked
with 'em. We'd flustrate the birds in their roostin' place an' when they
come out blinded by the light we hit 'em an' killed 'em with thorn brush
we carried in our han's.

Marster had a gran'son, the son of Alonza Hodge an' Arabella Hodge,
'bout my age an' I stayed with him most of the time. When Alonza Hodge
bought his son anything he bought for me too. He treated us alike. He
bought each of us a pony. We could ride good, when we were small. He let
us follow him. He let us go huntin' squirrels with him. When he shot an'
killed a squirrel he let us race to see which could get him first, while
he laughed at us.

I didn't sleep in the great house. I stayed with this white boy till
bed time then my mammy come an' got me an' carried me home. When marster
wanted us boys to go with him he would say, 'Let's go boys,' an' we
would follow him. We were like brothers. I ate with him at the table.
What they et, I et. He made the house girl wait on me just like he an'
his son was waited on.

My father stayed with marster till he died, when he was 63 an' I was
21; we both stayed right there. My white playmate's name was Richard
Hodge. I stayed there till I was married. When I got 25 years old I
married Ida Rawlson. Richard Hodge became a medical doctor, but he died
young, just before I was married.

They taught me to read an' write. After the surrender I went to free
school. When I didn't know a word I went to old marster an' he told me.

During my entire life no man can touch my morals, I was brought up by
my white folks not to lie, steal or do things immoral. I have lived a
pure life. There is nothing against me.

I remember the Yankees, yes sir, an' somethings they done. Well, I
remember the big yeller gobler they couldn't ketch. He riz an' flew an'
they shot him an' killed him. They went down to marster's store an'
busted the head outen a barrel o' molasses an' after they busted the
head o