been cook den. My
auntie cook aw de bread right dere in de kitchen on de fireplace. I is
hab some uv dem spider right here in de yard now. (She showed us two
iron spiders about 8 inches deep with three legs. One was being used in
the yard as a drinking place for the chickens and the other was
carelessly thrown just under the edge of her house.) When I come 'way
from my Missus plantation, I been take care uv wha' I bring 'way wid me.
Dere uh ole loom dere in de house right now. I 'members how I use 'er
lub to lie down on de Missus floor under de loom en watch my auntie when
she wuz spinning dere."

"Dey'ud hab gray sheep en white sheep den en dey'ud make sech nice
cloth. Yas'um, dey'ud dye de cloth right dere on de plantation. I
'member aw 'bout dat. De Missus hab uh big patch uv indigo dat dey
growed right dere en dey'ud gather it en boil it in de pot en den dey'ud
take de cloth dat my auntie is help weave an put it in dat pot en dye it
jes uz pretty. My Missus see to it she self dat de plantation peoples
clothes been make right en dat we is hab nice clean place to sleep. De
Missus never 'low none uv us to lay down in rags. She see 'bout aw dis
she self. I know my Missus gone to Hebbun, honey, en I hope she restin'
dere."

=Source:= Mom Hester Hunter, age 85, colored. (Personal
interview, Marion, S.C., May 1937.)

Code No.
Project, 1885-(1)
Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis
Place, Marion, S.C.
Date, October 15, 1937

No. ----
Reduced from ---- words
Rewritten by ----

MOM HESTER HUNTER
Ex-Slave, 85 Years

"Yes, mam, I remember all bout slavery time just as good as I know you
dis mornin. Remember de first time dem Yankees come dere, I was settin
down in de chimney corner en my mammy was givin me my breakfast.
Remember I been settin dere wid my milk en my bowl of hominy en I hear
my old grandmammy come a runnin in from out de yard en say all de sky
was blue as indigo wid de Yankees comin right dere over de hill den. Say
she see more Yankees den could ever cover up all de premises bout dere.
Den I hear my Missus scream en come a runnin wid a lapful of silver en
tell my grandmammy to hurry en sew dat up in de feather bed cause dem
Yankees was mighty apt to destroy all dey valuables. Old Missus tell all
de colored people to get away, get away en take care of demselves en
tell we chillun to get back to de chimney corner cause she couldn'
protect us noways no longer. Yes, honey,