ter de war. Old marster
die de year befo' de war, I think, 'cause my mammy and pappy fell in de
division to Marse Nick and us leave de Graham place to go to de home
place. It was called de Melrose place. And what a place dat was! 'Twas
on a hill, overlookin' de place where de Longtown Presbyterian Church
and cemetery is today. Dere was thirty rooms in it and a fish pond on
top of it. A flower yard stretchin' clean down de hill to de big road,
where de big gate, hangin' on big granite pillars, swung open to let de
carriages, buggies, and wagons in and up to de house.

"Can I tell you some of de things dat was in dat house when de Yankees
come? Golly no! Dat I can't, but I 'members some things dat would
'stonish you as it 'stonished them. They had Marseille carpets, linen
table cloths, two silver candlesticks in every room, four wine
decanters, four nut crackers, and two coffee pots, all of them silver.
Silver castors for pepper, salt, and vinegar bottles. All de plates was
china. Ninety-eight silver forks, knives, teaspoons and table-spoons.
Four silver ladles, six silver sugar tongs, silver goblets, a silver
mustard pot and two silver fruit stands. All de fireplaces had brass
firedogs and marble mantelpieces. Dere was four oil paintin's in de
hall; each cost, so Marse Nick say, one hundred dollars. One was his ma,
one was his pa, one was his Uncle Austin and de other was of Colonel
Lamar.

"De smoke-house had four rooms and a cellar. One room, every year, was
filled wid brown sugar just shoveled in wid spades. In winter they would
drive up a drove of hogs from each plantation, kill them, scald de hair
off them, and pack de meat away in salt, and hang up de hams and
shoulders 'round and 'bout de smokehouse. Most of de rum and wine was
kep' in barrels, in de cellar, but dere was a closet in de house where
whiskey and brandy was kep' for quick use. All back on de east side of
de mansion was de garden and terraces, acres of sweet 'taters, water
millions (watermelons) and strawberries and two long rows of beehives.

"Old marster die. De 'praisers of de State come and figure dat his
mules, niggers, cows, hogs, and things was worth $200,000.00. Land and
houses I disremember 'bout. They, anyhow, say de property was over a
million dollars. They put a price of $1,600.00 on mammy and $1,800.00 on
pappy. I 'member they say I was worth $400.00. Young Marse Nick tell us
dat the personal property of de estate was 'praised at $288,16