k house. All de
houses in de quarters made dat way. Our beds was good. Us had a good
marster. Our livin' houses and vittles was better and healthier than
they is now. Big quarters had many families wid a big drove of chillun.
Fed them from big long trays set on planks. They eat wid iron spoons,
made at de blacksmith's shop. What they eat? Peas, beans, okra, Irish
'tators, mush, shorts, bread, and milk. Dere was 'bout five or six acres
to de garden. Us kept fat and happy.

"Who was de overseers? Mr. Wade Rawls was one and Mr. Osborne was
another. There was another one but 'spect I won't name him, 'cause him
had some trouble wid my Uncle Dennis. 'Pears like he insult my aunt and
beat her. Uncle Dennis took it up, beat de overseer, and run off to de
woods. Then when he git hungry, him come home at night for to eat
sumpin'. Dis kept up 'til one day my pappy drive a wagon to town and
Dennis jined him. Him was a settin' on de back of de wagon in de town
and somebody point him out to a officer. They clamp him and put him in
jail. After de 'vestigation they take him to de whippin' post of de
town, tie his foots, make him put his hands in de stocks, pulled off his
shirt, pull down his britches and whip him terrible.

"No sir, Marster General Bratton didn't 'low his slaves' chillun to
work. I just played 'round, help feed de stock and pigs, bring in de
fruit from de orchard and sich like.

"Yes sir, marster give me small coins. What I do wid de money? I buy a
pretty cap, one time. Just don't 'members what I did wid it all.

"Us went fishin' in de Melton Branch, wid hooks. Ketch rock rollers,
perch and catfish. They eat mighty good. I like de shortnin' bread and
sugar cane 'lasses best and de fust time I ever do wrong was 'bout de
watermelons.

"Our shoes was made on de place. They had wooden bottoms. My daddy,
being de foreman, was de only slave dat was give de honor to wear boots.

"Dere was just two mulattoes on de place. One was a daughter of my aunt.
All de niggers was crazy 'bout her and wid de consent of my aunt,
marster give her to some kinfolks in Arkansas. De other was name, Rufus.
My marster was not his daddy. No use to put down dere in writing just
who his pappy was.

"Stealing was de main crime. De whippin's was put on de backs, and if
you scowled, dat would git you a whippin' right dere and then.

"Yes sir, dere is haunts, plenty of them. De devil is de daddy and they
is hatched out in de swamps. My brother