e yard wuz full ob slaves. I stayed dere two
weeks 'fore marster Simpson bought me. I wuz sold 'way fum mah husband
en I nebber se'd 'im 'gin. I had one chile which I tuk wid me.

De slave yard wuz on Cedar Street. A Mr. Chandler would bid de slaves
off, but 'fore dey started biddin' you had ter tek all ob yo Clothes
off en roll down de hill so dey could see dat you didn't hab no bones
broken, er sores on yer. (I wouldin' tek mine off). Ef nobody bid on
you, you wuz tuk ter de slave mart en sold. I wuz sold dere. A bunch
ob dem wuz sent ter Mississippi en dey had dere ankles fas'end
tergedder en dey had ter walk w'iles de tradahs rid.

W'en I wuz sold ter marster Simpkins, mah second mistress made me a
house slave en I wuked only at de big house en mah wuk wus ter nuss en
dress de chilluns en he'ps mah missis in her dressin'.

De young slaves wuz hired out ter nuss de white chilluns. I wuz hired
as nuss girl at seven y'ars ole en started cookin' at ten. I nebber
had a chance ter go ter schul.

I'm de mammy ob 14 chilluns, seven boys en seven gals. I wuz next ter
de olest ob four chillun. Mah missis useter hire me out ter hotels en
taverns.

Sum marsters fed dare slaves meat en sum wouldin' let dem hab a bite.
One marster we useter 'yer 'bout would grease his slaves mouth on
Sunday mawnin', en tell dem ef any body axed ef dey had meat ter say
"yes, lots ob hit".

W'en dey got ready ter whup dem dey'd put dem down on a pit widout any
clothes, stand back wid a bull whup en cut de blood out. I member de
niggers would run 'way en hide out.

De only fun de young folks had wuz w'en de ole folks had a quiltin'.
W'ile de ole folks wuz wukin' on de quilt de young ones would git in
'nuther room, dance en hab a good time. Dey'd hab a pot turned down at
de do'er ter keep de white folks fum 'yearin' dem. De white folks
didn't want us ter l'arn nothin' en ef a slave picked up a lettle
piece ob papah, dey would yell "put dat down you--you wan't ter git in
our business."

De white folks wouldin' let de slaves pray, ef dey got ter pray hit
wuz w'iles walkin' 'hind de plow. White folks would whup de slaves ef
dey 'yeard dem sing er pray.

I wuz a big girl w'en dey build de Capitol. I played on de hill 'fore
hit wuz built en I toted blocks fum dere w'en hit wuz bein' built. I
wuz livin' in Dickson County w'en Fort Donelson wuz tuk. I seed de
fust gun boat dat kum up de Cumberland River. I wuz standin' in de
Do'er w'en I se'd hi