used of takin a
thing on another place, dey have a trial bout it. Justice might tell dem
how many licks to give him en point man to do it. I hear dat some been
whipped way off till dey died, but old man Everett Nichols wouldn' never
whip his slaves. He had son dat whipped some rough darkies dat he got
off another place cause old man Nichols wouldn' want strange darkies to
marry girls on his place. I hear way up de country dat dey whipped dem
till dey died right dere."

"Dey had jails in slavery time at Marion for de slaves. If dey caught
slaves dat had run away, dey would put dem in jail till dey Massa sent
after dem. Sometimes dey would hold dem en sell dem for debt. Dey tell
me some put on stand en sold dere at Marion, but I never saw any sold.
Just hear bout dat, but I remembers I saw dis. Saw six men tied together
wid a chain one Saturday evenin dat was comin from Virginia en gwine to
Texas."

"Some people helped de slaves to read en write en some of dem didn'. Boy
learnt one of my uncles to read, but didn' want him to write. People
learn to spell in dem times better den dey do now. Some of de slaves
could read de Bible en den others of dem could write dese pass dat dey
had to get from dey Massa fore dey could go from one plantation to
another. I recollects my mother's father could write a pass."

"Dere wasn' no church on de plantation whe' I stay. Had preachin in Mr.
Ford's yard sometimes en den another time de slaves went to white
people's church at Bear Swamp. Boss tell slaves to go to meetin cause he
say he pay de preacher. Dean Ears, white man, gave out speech to de
slaves one day dere to Nichols. Slaves sat in gallery when dey go dere.
He tell dem to obey dey Massa en Missus. Den he say, 'God got a clean
kitchen to put you in. You think you gwine be free, but you ain' gwine
be free long as dere an ash in Ashpole Swamp.' White folks complain bout
de slaves gettin two sermons en dey get one. After dat, dey tell old
slaves not to come to church till after de white folks had left. Dat
never happen till after de war was over."

"I sho remember when freedom come here. Remember when my boss told me I
was free. My father come dere en say he wanted his boys. Boss called,
'Aaron, come here, your daddy wants you. I want you to go.' He told me
not to go till de news came though. Please me, I felt like a new man."

"I hate to speak what I think bout slavery. Think it a pity de slaves
freed cause I know I'm worried mor