d the dogs and the horn. They started down in the
hollow cypress. One went down, the others coming on. He started
hollering. But he thought a big snake in there. He brought up a cub on
his nearly bare foot. They clem out and went from limb to limb till
they got so away the dogs would loose trail. They seen the mama bear
come and nap four her cubs to another place. His foot swole up so.
They had to tote my pa about. Next day the dogs bayed them up in the
trees. Master took them home, doctored his foot. Ast 'em why they
runed off and so much to be doing. They tole 'em they taking a little
rest. He whooped them every one.

"Pretty soon the Yankees come along and broke the white folks up. Pa
went wid the Yankees. He said he got grown in the War. He fed horses
for his general three years. He got arm and shoulder wounded, scalped
his head. They mustered him out and he got his bounty. He got sixty
dollars every three months.

"He died at Holly Grove, Arkansas about fifty years ago. Them was his
favorite stories."

Interviewer: Mrs. Bernice Bowden
Person interviewed: Mandy Johnson
607 Cypress Street, Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Age: 92

"This is me. I'se old and ain't no 'count. I was done grown when the
war started. You _know_ I was grown when I was washin' and ironin'. I
stood right there and watched the soldiers goin' to war. I heered the
big bell go b-o-n-g, b-o-n-g and everybody sayin' 'There's goin' to be
a war, there's goin' to be a war!' They was gettin' up the force to go
bless your heart! Said they'd be back by nine tomorrow and some said
'I'm goin' to bring you a Yankee scalp.' And then they come again and
want _so many_. You could hear the old drums go boom--boom. They was
drums on this side and drums on that side and them drums was a
talkin'! Yes'm, I'se here when it started--milkin' cows, washin' and
cookin'. Oh, that was a time. Oh my Lord--them Yankees come in just
like blackbirds. They said the war was to free the folks. Lots of 'em
got killed on the first battle.

"I was born in Bastrop, Louisiana in February--I was a February colt.

"My old master was John Lovett and he was good to us. If anybody put
their hands on any of his folks they'd have him to whip tomorrow. They
called us old John's free niggers. Yes ma'm I had a good master. I
ain't got a scratch on me. I stayed right in the house and nussed till
I'se grown. We had a good time but some of 'em seed sights. I stayed
there