Yankees
did take off all de mules, cows, hogs, and sheep, and ransack de
smoke-house, but they never burnt a thing at our place. Folks wonder at
dat. Some say it was 'cause General Bratton was a high 'gree mason.

"While Marse John, who was a Confederate General, was off in de war, us
had overseers. They made mother and everybody go to do field. De little
chillun was put in charge, in de daytime, wid an old 'mauma', as they
called them in them days. Dere was so many, twenty-five or thirty, dat
they had to be fed out of doors. At sundown they was 'sembled in a tent,
and deir mammies would come and git them and take them home. Dere used
to be some scrappin' over de pot liquor dat was brought out in big pans.
De little chillun would scrouge around wid deir tin cups and dip into de
pan for de bean, pea, or turnip pot liquor. Some funny scraps took
place, wid de old mauma tryin' to separate de squallin', pushin',
fightin' chillun.

"De overseers was Wade Rawls and a Mr. Timms. After freedom, us moved to
Winnsboro, to Dr. Will Bratton's farm near Mt. Zion College. I went to
school to Mr. Richardson and Miss Julia Fripp, white teachers employed
by northern white people. I got very 'ligious 'bout dat time, but de
brand got all rubbed out, when us went to work for Major Woodward. His
'ligion was to play de fiddle, go fox huntin', and ride 'round gittin'
Negroes to wear a red shirt and vote de democrat ticket. I went 'long
wid him and done my part. They tell a tale on Marse Tom Woodward and I
'spects it's true:

"He was runnin' for some kind of office and was goin', nex' day, up in
de dark corner of Fairfield to meet people. Him hear dat a old fellow
name Uriah Wright, controlled all de votes at dat box and dat he was a
fox hunter to beat de band. He 'quire 'round 'bout Mr. Wright's dogs. He
find out dat a dog name 'Ring Smith' was de best 'strike'. Jolly Wright
was de name of de cold 'trailer', and Molly Clowney was de fastest dog
of de pack. Marse Tom got all dis well in his mind, and nex' day rode up
to old Mr. Wright's, 'bout dinner time.

"De old man had just come in from de field. Marse Tom rode up to de gate
and say; 'Is dis Dr. Wright?' De old man say: 'Dat's what de people call
me 'round here.' Marse Tom say: 'My name is Woodward. I am on my first
political legs, and am goin' 'round to see and be seen, if not by
everybody, certainly by de most prominent and 'fluential citizens of
each section.' Then de old man say: