was out on
McClure's field. It wasn't no houses dar den, and, o' course, dar wasn't
no mill no whar about Union in dem days. All de tents dat was staked was
staked in McClure's ole field over on 'Tosch' Branch. In dem days, dat
field was de biggest territory in de clear around Union. Atter dat, all
de Red Shirts met on de facade in front o' de courthouse. Mos' all de
mens made a speech. Another darky sung a song like dis: 'Marse Hampton
was a honest man; Mr. Chamberlain was a rogue'--Den I sung a song like
dis: 'Marse Hampton et de watermelon, Mr. Chamberlain knawed de rine.'
Us jest having fun den, kaise us had done 'lected Marse Hampton as de
new governor of South Ca'linia."

=Source:= "Uncle Pen" Eubanks, Hampton Ave. Union, S.C. (age 83)
Interviewer: Caldwell Sims, Union, S.C. (5/4/37)

Project #1655.
W. W. Dixon,
Winnsboro, S. C.

LEWIS EVANS
EX-SLAVE 96 YEARS

Lewis Evans lives on the lands of the estate of the late C.L. Smith,
about ten miles southwest of Winnsboro, S.C. The house is a two-room
frame structure, with a chimney in the center. He has the house and
garden lot, free of rent, for the rest of his life, by the expressed
wish of Mr. Smith before his demise. The only other occupant is his
wife, Nancy, who is his third wife and much younger than Lewis. She does
all the work about the home. They exist from the produce of the garden,
output of fowls, and the small pension Lewis receives. They raise a pig
each year. This gives them their meat for the succeeding year.

"Who I b'long to? Where was I born? White folks tell me I born after de
stars fell, (1833), but maybe I too little to 'member de day. Just have
to go by what I hear them say. Think it was 'bout 1841. All accounts is,
I was born a slave of Marster John Martin, near Jenkinsville. Old
Mistress, his wife, named Miss Margaret. All I can 'member 'bout them is
dis: They had 'bout fifteen slaves, me 'mongst them. His daughter
married a doctor, Doctor Harrison. I was sold to Maj. William Bell, who
lived 'bout ten or twelve miles from old Marster. I's a good size boy
then. Maj. Bell had ten families when I got dere. Put me to hoein' in de
field and dat fall I picked cotton. Next year us didn't have cotton
planters. I was took for one of de ones to plant de cotton seed by
drappin' de seed in de drill. I had a bag 'round my neck, full of seeds,
from which I'd take handfuls and sow them 'long in de row. Us had a
horse-gi