e day she up and die.

"Dat snake ain't all what Doc Fawcett pickle. A slave woman give birth
to a baby gal what have two faces with a strip of hair runnin' 'tween.
Old Doc Fawcett pickle it in de jar of brandy. Old doc start to court
Miss Cornelia when Marse die, but she don't have none of him and he
done went straight 'way and kill hisself.

"One day a li'l man come ridin' by on a li'l dun hoss so fast you
couldn't see dat hoss tail a-switchin'. He whoopin' and hollerin'. Us
niggers 'gun whoop and holler, too. Den first thing you know de Yanks
and de Democrats 'gun to fight right dere. Dey a high old mountain front
Marse's house and de Yanks 'gun pepper cannon ball down from de top dat
hill. De war met right dere and dem Yanks and Democrats fit for
twenty-four hours straight runnin'.

"When de bullets starts rainin' down, Marse call us and slip us way back
into de woods, where it so black and deep. Next day, when de fight over,
Marse come out with great big wagons piles full of mess-poke for us to
eat. Dat what us call hog meat. Us sho' glad to 'scape from de Yankees.

"When us driv back to de plantation, sech a sight I never seen. Law, de
things I can tell. Dem Yanks have kilt men and women. I seed babies pick
up from de road with dere brains bust right out. One old man am drawin'
water and a cannon ball shoots him right in de well. Dey draws him up
with de fishin' line. Dey's a old sugar boat out on de bayou with blood
and sugar runnin' long side de busted barrels. 'Lasses run in de bayou
and blood run in de ditches. Marse have de great big orchard on de road
and it wipe clean as de whistle. Bullets wipe up everythin' and bust dat
sugar cane all to pieces. De house sot far back and 'scape de bullets,
but, law, de time dey have!

"Dey's awful, awful times after dat. A old cotton dress cost five
dollars and a pound of coffee cost five dollars and a pint cup flour
cost six bits. De Yanks 'round all de time and one day they comes right
in de house where Miss Cornelia eatin' her dinner. Dey march 'round de
table, jes' scoopin' up meat and 'taters and grabbin' cornpone right and
left. Miss Cornelia don't say a word, jes' smile sweet as honey-cake. I
reckon dem sojers might a took de silver and sech only she charm 'em by
bein' so quiet and ladylike. First thing you know dem sojers curtsy to
Missy and take dereself right out de door and don't come back.

"Den it seem like Marse have all de trouble in de world. He boy,