n tol' us we was free, he didn' seem to min', but Miss
Em, she bawled and squalled, say her prop'ty taken 'way from her. After
dat, my mammy gathers us togedder and tuk us to the Dr. Middleton place,
out from Jacksonville. From thar to de Ragsdale place whar I's been ever
since.

"I wore my first pants when I was fourteen years ole, and they stung
'till I was mis'ble. The cloth was store bought but mammy made the pants
at home. It was what we called dog-hair cloth. Mammy made my first
shoes, we called 'em 'red rippers'.

420075

[Illustration: Sarah Ashley]

SARAH ASHLEY, 93, was born in Mississippi. She recalls her
experiences when sold on the block in New Orleans, and on a cotton
plantation in Texas. She now lives at Goodrich, Texas.

"I ain't able to do nothin' no more. I's jus' plumb give out and I stays
here by myself. My daughter, Georgia Grime, she used to live with me but
she's been dead four year.

"I was born in Miss'ippi and Massa Henry Thomas buy us and bring us
here. He a spec'lator and buys up lots of niggers and sells 'em. Us
family was sep'rated. My two sisters and my papa was sold to a man in
Georgia. Den dey put me on a block and bid me off. Dat in New Orleans
and I scairt and cry, but dey put me up dere anyway. First dey takes me
to Georgia and dey didn't sell me for a long spell. Massa Thomas he
travel round and buy and sell niggers. Us stay in de spec'lators drove
de long time.

"After 'while Massa Mose Davis come from Cold Spring, in Texas, and buys
us. He was buyin' up little chillen for he chillen. Dat 'bout four year
befo' da first war. I was 19 year old when de burst of freedom come in
June and I git turn loose.

"I was workin' in de field den. Jus' befo' dat de old Massa he go off
and buy more niggers. He go east. He on a boat what git stove up and he
die and never come back no more. Us never see him no more.

"I used to have to pick cotton and sometime I pick 300 pound and tote it
a mile to de cotton house. Some pick 300 to 800 pound cotton and have to
tote de bag de whole mile to de gin. Iffen dey didn't do dey work dey
git whip till dey have blister on 'em. Den iffen dey didn't do it, de
man on a hoss goes down de rows and whip with a paddle make with holes
in it and bus' de blisters. I never git whip, 'cause I allus git my 300
pound. Us have to go early to do dat, when de horn goes early, befo'
daylight. Us have to take de victuals in de bucket to de f