s nuss. Marse Thomas had a big fine melonial
(colonial) house on Prince Avenue wid slave quarters in de back yard of
his 10-acre lot. He owned 'most nigh dat whole block 'long dar.

"Oh! dey had 'bout a hundred slaves I'm sho', for dere was a heap of
'em. De overseer got 'em up 'bout five o'clock in de mornin' and dat
breakfust sho' had better be ready by seben or else somebody gwine to
have to pay for it. Dey went to deir cabins 'bout ten at night. Marse
was good, but he would whup us if we didn't do right. Miss Marion was
allus findin' fault wid some of us.

"Jesse was de car'iage driver. Car'iages was called phaetons den. Dey
had high seats up in front whar de driver sot, and de white folks sot in
de car'iage below. Jesse went to de War wid Marse Thomas, and was wid
him when he was kilt at Fred'ricksburg, Virginia. I heard 'em sey one of
his men shot 'im by mistake, but I don't know if dat's de trufe or not.
I do know dey sho' had a big grand fun'al 'cause he was a big man and a
general in de War.

"Some of de slaves on Marse Thomas' place knowed how to read. Aunt Vic
was one of de readers what read de Bible. But most of de Niggers didn't
have sense enough to learn so dey didn't bother wid 'em. Dey had a
church way downtown for de slaves. It was called Landon's Chapel for
Rev. Landon, a white man what preached dar. Us went to Sunday School
too. Aunt Vic read de Bible sometimes den. When us jined de chu'ch dey
sung: 'Amazing Grace How Sweet de Sound.'

"Marse Thomas had lots of slaves to die, and dey was buried in de
colored folks cemetery what was on de river back of de Lucas place. I
used to know what dey sung at fun'als way back yonder, but I can't bring
it to mind now.

"No Ma'am, none of Marse Thomas' Niggers ever run away to de Nawth. He
was good to his Niggers. Seems lak to me I 'members dem patterollers run
some of Marse Thomas' Niggers down and whupped 'em and put 'em in jail.
Old Marse had to git 'em out when dey didn't show up at roll call next
mornin'.

"Marse Thomas allus put a man or de overseer on a hoss or a mule when he
wanted to send news anywhar. He was a big man and had too many slaves to
do anything hisse'f.

"I 'spect dey done den lak dey does now, slipped 'round and got in
devilment atter de day's wuk was done. Marse Thomas was allus havin'
swell elegant doin's at de big house. De slaves what was house servants
didn't have no time off only atter dinner on Sundays.

"Christmas was somep