r 'fore peace declare. I remember
dat. I wuz a good big girl; but jes' a child--not married yet. Yes'm I
plowed a mule an' a wild un at dat. Sometimes me hands get so cold I
jes' cry. But dey all say I 'wuz a nigger what wuz a nigger!'

"In May peace declare. De first president of de country wuz Lincoln. He
took his seat in March. But I work for de white people 'fore dat. On a
Friday mornin' our Massa, Mr. Richard Davant come an' told us peace
declare. He come an' told us hisself. I wuz in de cornhouse a-shuckin'
corn to go to de mill on Saturday. After freedom all de niggers left
'cept my Mamma. My father brought us back here to Col. Alex Lawton's
place at Robertville. He used to belong to Col. Lawton. Many years atter
dat Col. Lawton moved to Savannah; but when he died dey brought him back
here an' buried him at Robertville.

"My young Missus was de daughter of Mr. Sam Maner, my old Massa; so when
she marry Mr. Davant I went wid her. Dey had bought a place in Screven,
Georgia. Seven year 'fore peace declare we went to Georgia. On a Monday
mornin' a colored man come along an' tell Miss Anna de Yankees had took
Waynesboro. We all went to see it. De fire had left de place clean.
Could pick up a pin behind it. Other than dat I see nothin'. I never see
no house burn down. I never hear no gun fire. I jes' see de uniform, an'
see 'em kill de hog an' sling 'em 'cross de saddle. Den when we come
back to Robertville, we see de destruction left behind.

"After I git of size I mind de birds off de corn an' rice an' sech like.
Den I'd take care of de turkeys. An' we'd sweep de yards. Carry de
leaves off to de stable in a wheelbarrow.

"Both my missus wuz good to me. De last missus I own treat me jes' de
same as her own child. I stayed right dere in de house wid her, an' if I
wuz sick or anything she'd take care of me same as her own chillun. I
nurse one of her chillun. An' dat child would rather be wid me than wid
her own mother!"

Source: Elisa Scantling, Scotia, S.C. age 87 years.

=Code No. 390166=
=Project No. 1885-(1)=
=Prepared by Mrs. Lucile Young & H. Grady Davis=
=Place, Florence, S.C.=
=Date, May 25, 1937=
=Typed by M.C., N.Y.A.=

=No Words_______________=
=Reduced from ____ Words=
=Rewritten by=

=Mary Scott=

=Gourdin, S.C.=

=Ex-Slave, About 90 years old=

"Where and when were you born?"

"On Gaston Gamble place, between here and Greeleville. In da Gamble's
Bible is my age. Don't