acts to be related were either told to her by her grandmother,
Sylvia Heard, or were facts which she remembered herself.

Mrs. Avery was born 75 years ago in Troupe County, LaGrange, Ga. the
eighth oldest child of Lenora and Silas Heard. There were 10 other
children beside herself. She and her family were owned by Mr. & Mrs.
Peter Heard. In those days the slaves carried the surname of their
master; this accounted for all slaves having the same name whether they
were kin or not.

The owner Mr. Heard had a plantation of about 500 acres and was
considered wealthy by all who knew him. Mrs. Avery was unable to give
the exact number of slaves on the plantation, but knew he owned a large
number. Cotton, corn, peas, potatoes, (etc.) were the main crops raised.

The homes provided for the slaves were two room log cabins which had one
door and one window. These homes were not built in a group together but
were more or less scattered over the plantation. Slave homes were very
simple and only contained a home made table, chair and bed which were
made of the same type of wood and could easily be cleaned by scouring
with sand every Saturday. The beds were bottomed with rope which was run
backward and forward from one rail to the other. On this framework was
placed a mattress of wheat straw. Each spring the mattresses were
emptied and refilled with fresh wheat straw.

Slaves were required to prepare their own meals three times a day. This
was done in a big open fire place which was filled with hot coals. The
master did not give them much of a variety of food, but allowed each
family to raise their own vegetables. Each family was given a hand out
of bacon and meal on Saturdays and through the week corn ash cakes and
meat; which had been broiled on the hot coals was the usual diet found
in each home. The diet did not vary even at Christmas only a little
fruit was added.

Each family was provided with a loom and in Mrs. Avery's family, her
grandmother, Sylvia Heard, did most of the carding and spinning of the
thread into cloth. The most common cloth for women clothes was homespun,
and calico. This same cloth was dyed and used to make men shirts and
pants. Dye was prepared by taking a berry known as the shumake berry and
boiling them with walnut peelings. Spring and fall were the seasons for
masters to give shoes and clothing to their slaves. Both men and women
wore brogan shoes, the only difference being the piece in the side of
the