d the mistress saw to it that
everyone was served nice foods for the occasion.

Frolics were common occurrences on the Willis plantation, also quilting
parties. Good foods consisting of pies, cakes, chicken, brandied
peaches, etc. "Dancing was always to be expected by anyone attending
them," remarked Mrs. Callaway. "Our master always kept two to three
hundred gallons of whisky and didn't mind his slaves drinking. I can
remember my master taking his sweetened dram every morning, and often he
gave me some in a tumbler. On Christmas Day big dinners were given for
all of the slaves and a few ate from the family's table after they had
finished their dinner."

Medical care was promptly given a slave when he became ill. Special care
was always given them for the Willis family had a personal interest in
their slaves. "On one occasion," remarked Mrs. Calloway, "the scarlet
fever broke out among the slaves and to protect the well ones it became
necessary to build houses in a field for those who were sick. This
little settlement later became know as "Shant Field." Food was carried
to a hill and left so that the sick persons could get it without coming
in contact with the others. To kill the fever, sticks of fat pine were
dipped in tar and set on fire and then placed all over the field."

Religion played as important part in the lives of the slaves, and such
[TR: much?] importance was attached to their prayer meetings. There were
no churches, provided and occasionally they attended the white churches;
but more often they held their prayer meetings in their own cabins.
Prayers and singing was in a moaning fashion, and you often heard this
and nothing more. On Sunday afternoons everyone found a seat around the
mulberry tree and the young mistress would conduct Sunday School.

Concerning the Civil War, Mrs. Callaway related the following story:

"When the war broke out my mistress' home became a sewing center and
deifferent women in the neighborhood would come there every day to make
clothes for the soldiers. On each bed was placed the vests, coats,
shirts, pants, and caps. One group did all the cutting, one the
stitching, and one the fitting. Many women cried while they served [TR:
sewed?] heart-broken because their husbands and sons had to go to the
war. One day the Yanks came to our plantation and took all of the best
horses. In one of their wagons were bales of money which they had taken.
Money then was blue in color; of cours