name and I been here a mighty long time. Glad you say
it's a honor and a privilege by de mercy of de Lord. I's thankful! You
wants to know where I was born and who my white folks then?

"I was born just one and a half mile b'low White Oak, S.C., on de old
Marse Billie Brice place. My pappy b'long to old Miss Jennie Rosboro,
but mammy b'long to Marse William Brice. Her name Ann. My old mistress
name Mary, daughter of de Simontons, on Dumpers Creek.

"You wants de fust thing I 'members, then travel 'long de years 'til I
come to settin' right here in dis chair. Well, reckon us git through
today? Take a powerful sight of dat pencil to put it all down.

"Let me see. Fust thing I 'members well, was a big crowd wid picks and
shovels, a buildin' de railroad track right out de other side of de big
road in front of old marster's house. De same railroad dat is dere
today. When de fust engine come through, puffin' and tootin', lak to
scare 'most everybody to death. People got use to it but de mules and
bosses of old marster seem lak they never did. A train of cars a movin'
'long is still de grandest sight to my eyes in de world. Excite me more
now than greyhound busses, or airplanes in de sky ever do.

"I nex' 'members my young misses and young marsters. Dere was Marse
John; he was kilt in de war. Marse Jim, dat went to de war, come back,
marry, and live right here in Winnsboro. Marse Jim got a grandson dat am
in de army a sailin' air-ships. Then dere was Marse William; he moved
off. One of de gals marry a Robertson, I can't 'member her name, tho' I
help her to make mud pies many a day and put them on de chicken coop, in
de sun, to dry. Her had two dolls; deir names was Dorcas and Priscilla.
When de pies got dry, she'd take them under de big oak tree, fetch out
de dolls and talk a whole lot of child mother talk 'bout de pies, to de
Dorcas and Priscilla rag dolls. It was big fun for her tho' and I can
hear her laugh right now lak she did when she mince 'round over them
dolls and pies. Dere was some poor folks livin' close by and she'd send
me over to 'vite deir chillun over to play wid her. They was name
Marshall. Say they come from Virginny and was kin to de highest judge in
de land. They was poor but they was proud. Mistress felt sorry for them
but they wouldn't 'cept any help from her.

"Well, when I git twelve years old, marster give me to his son, Marse
Calvin, and give Marse Calvin a plantation dat his son, Homer, live on