n up here on the Biscoe place before Mr. Biscoe was heard of
in this country. I'm for the world like my daddy. He was light as I is.
I'm jus' his size and make. There was three of us boys. Dan was the
oldest; he was my own brother, and Ed was my half-brother. My daddy was
a fellar of few words and long betwix' 'em. He was in the Old War (Civil
War). He was shot in his right ankle and never would let it be took out.
Mother had been a cook. She and my grandmother was sold in South
Carolina and brought out here. Mother's name was Sallie Harry. Judging
by them being Harrys that might been who owned them before they was
sold. She was about as light as me. Mother died when I was a litter bit
er of a fellar. Then me and Dan lived from house to house. Grandma Harry
and my Aunt Mat and Jesse Dove raised us. My daddy married right er way
ag'in.

"I recollect mighty little about the war. We lived back in the woods and
swamps. I was afraid of the soldiers. I seen them pass by. I was so
little I can barely recollect seeing them and hiding from them.

"When we lived over about Forrest City I seen the Ku Klux whoop Joe Saw
and Bill Reed. It was at night. They was tied to trees and whooped with
a leather snake whoop. I couldn't say how it come up but they sure
poured it on them. There was a crowd come up during the acting. I was
scared to death then. After then I had mighty little use for dressed-up
folks what go around at night (Ku Klux). I can tell you no sich thing
ever took place as I heard of at Biscoe. We had our own two officers and
white officers and we get along all the time tollerably well together."

Interviewer: Miss Irene Robertson
Person interviewed: Lewis Chase; Des Arc, Arkansas
Age: 90?

[TR: Some word pronunciation was marked in this interview. Letters
surrounded by [] represent long vowels.]

"I answer all your questions I knows lady.

"When de Civil War goin on I heard lots folks talking. I don't know what
all they did say. It was a war mong de white folks. Niggers had no say
in it. Heap ob them went to wait on their masters what went to fight.
Niggers didn't know what the fight war bout. Yankey troops come take
everything we had made, take it to the Bluff (DeValls Bluff), waste it
and eat it. He claim to be friend to the black man an do him jes dater
way. De niggers what had any sense tall stuck to the white folks.
Niggers what I knowed didn't spec nothin an they sho didn't get nothin
but freedom.