me to Texas when de gov'ment opens up de
channel. Dat am in 1873. 'Fore dat, a survey done been made and dey
found de raft am a hundred and twenty-eight miles long. When we was on
dat raft it am like a big swamp, with trees and thick brush and de
driftwood and logs all wedge up tight 'tween everything.

"'Fore Texas secedes, Marse Jensen done sell us all to Marse Felix
Grundy, and he goes to war in General Hardeman's Brigade and is with him
for bodyguard. When de battle of Mansfield come I'm sixteen years old.
We was camped on the Sabine River, on the Texas side, and the Yanks on
the other side a li'l ways. I 'member the night 'fore the battle, how
the campfires looked, and a quiet night and the whippoorwills callin' in
the weeds. We was 'spectin' a 'tack and sings to keep cheerful. The
Yanks sings the 'Battle Cry of Freedom' when they charges us. They come
on and on and, Lawd, how they fit! I stays clost to Marse Grundy and the
rebels wins and takes 'bout a thousand Yanks.

"Most the slaves was happy, the ones I knowed. They figgers the white
men fightin' for some principal, but lots of them didn't care nothin'
'bout bein' free. I s'pose some was with bad white folks, but not round
us. We had more to eat and now I'm so old I wouldn't feel bad if I had
old marse to look after me 'gain.

420131

VICTOR DUHON was born 97 years ago in Lafayette Parish, La., a
slave of the Duhon family. His blue eyes and almost white skin are
evidence of the white strain in his blood. Even after many years of
association with English speaking persons, he speaks a French
patois, and his story was interpreted by a Beaumont French teacher.

"My papa was Lucien Duhon and my mama Euripe Dupuis. I was born over in
Louisiana in Lafayette Parish, between Broussard and Warville. I'm 97
years old now.

"I didn't have brothers or sisters, except half ones. It is like this,
my mama was a house servant in the Duhon family. She was the
hairdresser. One day she barbered master's son, who was Lucien. He says
that he'll shave her head if she won't do what he likes. After that she
his woman till he marries a white lady.

"My grandmama was stolen from Africa and she lived to be 125 years old.
She died last year in April. I think I'll live long as she did. There
were fifteen slaves on the land what Duhon's had but I never ran around
with them. I had room at the back of the big house. You know, Madame
Duhon was my gran