to prayer service,
too. Us would go up dem steps in dat little room, what been open out on
de front piazza to de church, en set up in de gallery overhead en de
white folks let down dere below us. Yes, mam, dat whe' de colored people
went to church in dem days en some of dem go dere till dey die cause dat
whe' dey been join de church. Some of dem does go dere often times dese
days, too, when de white people axes dem to sing to dey church. I
remember, when I been baptize dere, I was just a little small child. Oh,
de white preacher baptized all us little niggers dere. Old Massa, he
tell all his hands to carry dey chillun up dere en get dem baptized. Oh,
my happy, dey been fix us up dat day. Put on us clean homespuns en long
drawers, dat been hang down round us ankles like boots, en all us get a
new bonnet dat day. I recollects, dey would march us right up to de
front of de church en de preacher would come down to whe' we was standin
wid a basin of water in one hand en a towel in de other hand. He would
take one of us chillun en lay he wet hand on dey head en say, 'I baptize
dee in de name of, etc.' Den dat one would have to get back en another
one would step up for dey turn. De preacher, he would have a big towel
to wipe his hands wid en every child's mammy would be standin right
behind hind dem wid a rag to wipe de (drain) dren water out dey eyes."

"Oh, my Lord, when de Yankees come through dere, I hear dem say it was
de Republicans. Mr. Ross had done say dat he hear talk dat dey was comin
through en he tell his niggers to hurry en hide all de plantation
rations. Yes, mam, dey dig cellars under de colored people houses en
bury what meat en barrels of flour dey could en dat what dey couldn' get
under dere, dey hide it up in de loft. Mr. Ross say, 'Won' none of dem
damn Yankees get no chance to stick dey rotten tooth in my rations.' We
say, 'Ma, you got all dese rations here en we hungry.' She say, 'No, dem
ration belong to boss en you chillun better never bother dem neither.'
Den when Mr. Ross had see to it dat dey had fix everything safe, he take
to de swamp. Dat what my mammy say cause he know dey wasn' gwine bother
de womens. Lord, when dem Yankees ride up to de big house, Miss Ross
been scared to open her mouth cause de man was in de swamp. No, child,
dey didn' bother nothin much, but some of de rations dey get hold of.
Often times, dey would come through en kill chickens en butcher a cow up
en cook it right dere. Wou