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Date, September 21, 1937

AARON-FORD,
EX-SLAVE

"I was born bout two miles bove Lake View on Zonia Rogers place. Boys
used to tell me I was born on Buck Branch. Think I was born de 12th. day
of February cause I was bout 16 years old when freedom come. Another
person born de same day en de same year en I might look on dey tombstone
en get de date."

"Miles Ford was my father en my mother, Jennie Ford, but dey didn' live
on de same place. Father belonged to Alias Ford at Lake View en mother
come from Timmonsville what used to be called Sparrow Swamp. Railroad
run through dere change name from Sparrow Swamp to Timmonsville."

"Just like I tell you, Zonia Rogers was my boss en he wasn' so bad. He
whip me a few times when I did things dat I oughtened to do. Sometimes I
was pesty en he whip me wid a switch, but he never whip so hard. I tell
de truth, Zonia Rogers was a good man. Give his slaves good pole houses
to live in up in de quarter. Never had but five slaves to start wid en
dat de reason he just had two slave house in de quarter. Sometimes dey
slept on de floor en den another time, some had homemade bedstead wid de
framework made out of black gum."

"We had meat en corn bread to eat all de time en dey gave us fried meat
en rye bread en flour bread to eat every now en den. Made rye bread in
time of de war, but didn' get much flour bread to eat. Massa would weigh
meat out on his hand. If anybody wanted meat, he hand it to dem on his
hand en say, 'Here it is.' Den some of de slaves had gardens dat dey
work at 12 o'clock en at night. Never was much to catch possums, but was
great hand to catch rabbits. Boss had dog name Trip dat he wouldn' have
taken $200.00 for. If I had him now, I wouldn' take $200.00 for him
neither cause dat dog would stay at a tree all night. See him stay dere
from early in de day till dark."

"Slaves wore one piece garment in de summer en used thick woolen garment
in de winter. When I got large, had wrapper en little breeches to wear.
Sometimes de clothes was all wool en sometimes dey was just half wool.
Yes, sir, I know all bout how de cloth was made in dat day en time.
Three treadle made dis here jeanes cloth dat was for de nigger clothes
en white people wore four treadle cloth. Had Sunday clothes in slavery
time, too, en made de shoes right dere home. Tanned de leather en made
shoes called nigger brogans dat dey used in de turpentine woods. Dese
here low quarters. I married in 18