z right. I felt that this wuz the way things had to
go, the way they were fixed to go. I wuz satisfied. The white folks
treated me all right. My young missus loved me and I loved her. She
whupped me sometimes. I think just for fun sometimes, when I wuz ridin'
behind her, she would tell me to put my arms around her and hold to her
apron strings. One day she wuz sittin' on the side saddle; I wuz sittin'
behind her. She wud try to git old Dave, the horse she wuz a ridin to
walk; she would say, 'Ho Dave', den I wud kick de horse in de side and
she wud keep walkin' on. She asked me, 'Joe, why does Dave not want to
stop?'

I saw a lot of Yankees, I wuz afraid of 'em. They called us Johnnie,
Susie, and tole us they wouldn't hurt us.

I think Abraham Lincoln is all right, I guess, the way he saw it. I
think he was like I wuz as a boy from what I read, and understand; he
wuz like me jest the way he saw things. I liked the rules, and ways o'
my old master and missus, while the Yankees and Abraham Lincoln gave me
more rest.

How did I learn to read? Atter de war I studies. I wonts ter read de
hymms an' songs. I jis picks up de readin' myself.

It's quare to me, I cannot remember one word my mother ever said to me,
not nary a word she said can I remember. I remember she brought me hot
potlicker and bread down to the house of mornings when I wuz small; but
I'se been tryin to 'member some words she spoke to me an' I cain't.

N. C. District: No. 2 [320246]
Worker: T. Pat Matthews
No. Words: 936
Subject: SUSAN HIGH
Story Teller: Susan High
Editor: Daisy Bailey Waitt

[TR: No Date Stamp]

SUSAN HIGH
519 Haywood Street
Raleigh, N. C.

My name is Susan High. I wus born in June. I am 70 years old. My mother
wus named Piety an' she belonged to de ole man Giles Underhill before de
surrender. My father he wus George Merritt an' he belonged to Ben
Merritt, Ivan Proctor's grandfather. Dey lived on a plantation near
Eagle Rock, Wake County. Dey called de creek near by Mark's Creek.

My parents said dat dey had a mighty hard time, an' dat durin' slavery
time, de rules wus mighty strict. De hours of work on de farm wus from
sun to sun wid no time 'cept at Christmas and at lay-by time, 4th of
July for anything but work. Dey were not 'lowed no edication, and very
little time to go to church. Sometimes de went to de white folks church.
Mother said dey whupped de slaves if dey bro