rch services and keep old marster from
hearin', they'd go out in the woods and turn the wash-pot upside down.
You know that would take up all the sound.

"I remember Adam Heath--he was called the meanest white man. I
remember he bought a boy and you know his first marster was good and
he wasn't used to bein' treated bad.

One day he asked old Adam Heath for a chew of tobacco, so old Adam
whipped him, and the boy ran away. But they caught him and put a bell
on him. Yes mam, that was in slavery times. Honey, I had good owners.
They didn't believe in beatin' their niggers.

"You know my home was in North Carolina. I was bred and born in
Johnson County.

"I remember seein' the soldiers goin' to war, but I never seed no
Yankee soldiers till after freedom.

"When folks heard the Yankees was comin' they run and hide their
stuff. One time they hide the meat in the attic, but the Yankees found
it and loaded it in Everett Whitley's wife's surrey and took it away.
She died just 'fore surrender.

"And I remember 'nother time they went to the smokehouse and got
something to eat and strewed the rest over the yard. Then they went in
the house and jest ramshacked it.

"My second marster never had no wife. He was courtin' a girl, but when
the war come, he volunteered. Then he took sick and died at Manassas
Gap. Yes'm, that's what they told me.

"My furst marster had a whiskey still. Now let me see, he had three
girls and one boy and they each had two slaves apiece. Ann Lee drawed
me and my grandmother.

"No mam, I never did go to school. You better _not_ go to school. You
better not ever be caught with a book in your hand. Some of 'em
slipped off and got a little learnin'. They'd get the old Blue Back
book out. Heap of 'em got a little learnin', but I didn't.

"When I fell to Jim Whitley's wife she kept me right in the house with
her. Yes mam, she was one good mistis to me when I was a child. She
certainly did feed me and clothe me. Yes mam!

"How long I been in Arkansas? Me? Let me see, honey, if I can give you
a guess. I been here about forty years. I remember they come to the
old country (North Carolina) and say, if you come to Arkansas you wont
even have to cook. They say the hogs walkin' round already barbecued.
But you know I knowed better than that.

"We come to John M. Gracie's plantation and some to Dr. Blunson
(Brunson). I remember when we got off the boat Dr. Blunson was sittin'
there and he said "Well, my cro