you could
see wus men gittin' all shot up. One day I seed one soldier git his head
shot off fum his body. Others got arms an' legs shot off. An' all de
time all you could hear wus de guns goin'--bam, bam, bam--it wus
terrible to see an' hear. One mornin' as I wus standin' in de door of de
tent I had a dose of it. I wus leanin' against de side of de tent wid my
hand stretched out a load o' grape shot fum de guns hit me in de hand
an' de blood flew everywhere. I jes' hollered. It come pretty near
scareing me to death. After de doctor got it patched up (and he held the
hand up to exibit the scar) it wus as good as it every wus."

"After de war wus over ol' marster wus all shot up an' I had to take him
on back home. When we got dere all de slaves crowded 'roun me an' wanted
to know if dey wus gonna be freed or not an' when I tol' 'em dat de war
wus over an' dat dey wus free dey wus all very glad. After de war a
whole lots of 'em stayed on de plantation an' a whole lots of 'em left
as soon as dey could git away."

PLANTATION LIFE as viewed by Ex-Slave

GEORGIA JOHNSON
1537 W. Broad Street
Athens, Georgia

Written by: Grace McCune
Athens --

Edited by: Sarah H. Hall
Athens

Leila Harris
Augusta

GEORGIA JOHNSON
Ex-Slave--Age 74

Almost without exception the old Negroes who have given their
"ricollections" have had life stories centered around one plantation.
Unlike these Aunt Georgia Johnson, 74 years old, of Athens, Georgia,
moved about considerably during her childhood, lived in several states
and had many and varied experiences. After coming back home she is of
the opinion shared by all Georgians: "Dar's no place kin tetch Georgie."

"Ma's fust name was Myra. I don't 'member what her other name was. Atter
her white folkses had done died out up in Maryland, her Pa, her brudder
and sister was sold off up dar, and a man named Jim Grisham brung de
rest of de slaves from dat plantation down to Lexin'ton, Georgie to sell
'em. Marse Duncan Allen bought my Ma and her Mammy dar at de sale in
Lexin'ton and tuk 'em to his big old plantation in South Callina.

"Ma said her didn't never see no hog meat 'til she come to dis country.
Her said dey et all sorts of fishes; just went to de beach and got
crabs, oysters, and swimp (shrimp) wid de hulls still on 'em, but when
her done et some hog meat at Marster's plantation, her said hit sho' wa