mily has ever dragged it in a jail or chaingang, Bless God!
and I hope us never will."

=Project #1655=
=W.W. Dixon=
=Winnsboro, S.C.=

=MARY WOODWARD=

=_EX-SLAVE 83 YEARS OLD._=

"I knows you since you 'bout dis high (indicating). When was it? Where I
see you? I see you at your auntie's house. Dat was your auntie, Miss
Roxie Mobley, other side of Blackstock. You was in a little dress dat
day, look lak a gal. Oh! Lordy, dat been a long time! What us has come
thru since dat day and de days befo' dat, beyond freedom.

"I was born a slave of old Marster Adam Berber, near de Catawba River
side de county, in 1854. I's a mighty small gal but I 'members when
pappy got his leg broke at de gin-house dat day, in de Christmas week.
Seem lak dat was de best Christmas I ever had. White folks comin' and a
gwine, loadin' de bed down wid presents for pappy and mammy and me.

"What my pappy name? He was name Joe and mammy go by Millie. Both b'long
to Marster Adam and Miss Nellie. Dat was her name and a lovely mistress
she be in dat part of de country. Her was sure pretty, walk pretty, and
act pretty. 'Bout all I had to do in slavery time was to comb her hair,
lace her corset, pull de hem over her hoop and say, 'You is served,
mistress!' Her lak them little words at de last.

"They have no chillun and dat was a grief to her more than to Marster
Adam. Him comfort her many times 'bout it and 'low it was his fault.
Then they 'spute 'bout it. Dats all de rumpus ever was 'twixt them. I
'spects if they had had chillun they wouldn't have been so good to me.
What you reckon? They give me dolls and laugh at de way I name them,
talk to them and dress them up.

"When de Yankees come, I was a settin' in de swing in de front yard.
They ride right up and say: 'Where your mistress?' I say: 'I don't
know.' They say: 'You is lyin'. Give her a few lashes and us'll find
out.' Another say: 'No, us come to free niggers, not to whip them.' Then
they ask me for to tell them where de best things was hid. I say: 'I
don't know sir.' Then they ransack de house, bust open de smoke house,
take de meat, hams, shoulders, 'lasses barrel, sugar, and meal, put them
in a four-horse wagon, set de house, gin-house and barn afire and go on
toward Rocky Mount. Our neighbors then, was Marster Aaron Powell and
Sikes Gladden, on Dutchman Creek.

"After freedom I marry Alf Woodward. Us had chillun. How many? Let me
see; Eli still alive, don't know where he