"My pappy didn't 'low other slave men to look at my mammy. I see him
grab Uncle Phil once, throw him down on de floor, and when him quit
stompin' Uncle Phil, they have to send for Dr. Newton, 'cause pappy done
broke Uncle Phil's right leg. My old marster no lak dat way one of his
slaves was crippled up. Him 'low to whip pappy for it. Pappy tell mammy
to go tell Marse John if he whip him, he would run off and go to de
North. She beg for pappy so, dat nothin' was done 'bout it. 'Spect Marse
John fear to lose a good blacksmith wid two good legs, just 'bout a
small nigger man wid one good leg and one bad leg.

"It come to de time old marster have so many slaves he don't know what
to do wid them all. He give some of them off to his chillun. He give
them mostly to his daughters, Miss Marion, Miss Nancy, and Miss
Lucretia. I was give to his grandson, Marse John Mobley McCrorey, just
to wait on him and play wid him. Little Marse John treat me good
sometime and kick me 'round sometime. I see now dat I was just a little
dog or monkey, in his heart and mind, dat 'mused him to pet or kick as
it pleased him. Him give me de only money I ever have befo' freedom, a
big copper two-cent piece wid a hole in it. I run a string thru dat hole
and tied it 'round my neck and felt rich all de time. Little niggers
always wanted to see dat money and I was proud to show it to them every
time.

"Little Marse John's mother was another daughter of old Marster John.
Her name was Dorcas. They live in Florida. I was took 'way down dere,
cried pow'ful to leave my mammy, but I soon got happy down dere playin'
in de sand wid Marse John and his little brudder, Charlie. Don't 'member
nothin' 'bout de war or de Yankees. Freedom come, I come back to de
Mobley quarters to mammy. I work for old Marster John up 'til after
Hampton was 'lected. I marry Florie Williams, a pretty black gal on de
Mobley quarters. Us is had seventeen chillun. So far as I know they is
all livin'. Some in Florida, some in Sparrows Point, Virginia, some in
Charlotte, N.C., and some in Columbia, S.C. Murdock and his wife, Katie,
and deir six chillun live in de same house wid me.

"My old marster have two daughters dat marry McCroreys. Miss Lucretia
marry James McCrorey and Miss Dorcas marry John McCrorey. Miss Lucretia
have a son name John. Miss Dorcas have a son name John. In talkin' wid
old mistress, 'fusion would come 'bout which John of de grandsons was
bein' meant and talked 'bo