some they mammy 'cause they taken 'way from the mammy when she wean
them, and sell or trade the chillen to someone else, so they wouldn't
git 'tached to they mammy or pappy.

"Massa larn us to read and us read the Bible. He larn us to write, too.
They a big church on he plantation and us go to church and larn to tell
the truth.

"I seed some few run away to the north and massa sometime cotch 'em and
put 'em in jail. Us couldn't go to nowhere without a pass. The
patterrollers would git us and they do plenty for nigger slave. I's went
to my quarters and be so tired I jus' fall in the door, on the ground,
and a patterroller come by and hit me several licks with a
cat-o-nine-tails, to see if I's tired 'nough to not run 'way. Sometimes
them patterrollers hit us jus' to hear us holler.

"When a slave die, he jus' 'nother dead nigger. Massa, he builded a
wooden box and put the nigger in and carry him to the hole in the
ground. Us march round the grave three times and that all.

"I been marry once 'fore freedom, with home weddin'. Massa, he bring
some more women to see me. He wouldn't let me have jus' one woman. I
have 'bout fifteen and I don't know how many chillen. Some over a
hunerd, I's sho'.

"I 'member plenty 'bout the war, 'cause the Yankees they march on to
Richmond. They kill everything what in the way. I heared them big guns
and I's scart. Everybody scart. I didn't see no fightin', 'cause I gits
out the way and keeps out till it all over.

But when they marches right on the town I's tendin' hosses for massa. He
have two hosses kilt right under him. Then the Yankees, they capture
that town. Massa, he send me to git the buggy and hoss and carry missus
to the mountain, but them Yankees they capture me and say they gwine
hang that nigger. But, glory be, massa he saves me 'fore they hangs me.
He send he wife and my wife to 'nother place then, 'cause they burn
massa's house and tear down all he fences.

"When the war over massa call me and tells me I's free as he was, 'cause
them Yankees win the war. He give me $5.00 and say he'll give me that
much a month iffen I stays with him, but I starts to Texas. I heared I
wouldn't have to work in Texas, 'cause everything growed on trees and
the Texans wore animal hides for clothes. I didn't git no land or mule
or cow. They warn't no plantations divided what I knowed 'bout. Mos'
niggers jus' got turn loose with a cuss, and not 'nough clothes to cover
they bodies.

"It 'bout