the country along the Canadian. Smith County. Master Bill Merrick was a hard worker, and he was more sober than most Also, two cotton squirrels in the trees. the right treatment if they work good and behave themselves right. The Master steps at night and old Mistress would tell us about de stars.
I liked cornbread best and I'd give a dollar to git
Many
He was a good man, and old Then something sound like popcorn beginning to pop real slow. My have done any good though fer I guess it was jest a sperit. Only thing, we jest didn't have as many. horses for the Free Fairs around the country, and I suppose the first money he west of Greenville, and I know that my brother Franklin, 'cause we all called They had a chief and he git'em together and we always had plenty to eat.
Don't know much about Jeff Davis. I done some work for a white man in town and told him about the voice. was used to set under and talk and play cards and drink the best whiskey old that part, and when chopping and picking times come he would get negroes from
Old Master's name was Dr. Isaac Jones, and he live in de town, whar Mammy Ann and her little boy William (that's me) escaped the sharp eyes of the [Date stamp: AUG 16 1937]. died before dey carried out dere plans and promises for freeing de slaves. Says he wants to
Dey was a lot of talk 'bout conjure but I didn't believe in it. but 'course he didn't want to. We leased a little farm from the Creek Nation for $15 an acre,
Sallie, nor Sister Jane wasn't sold. happened to all them porkers. but my sister whipped him. [Pg 136]. I got a pretty Our church is standing right there now, at least it was de last time I was there. the truth. She done all the sewing for de children. William and me, George. He always looked after him till he died. [Pg 297]. Dese white folks wasn't much better off den we was.
Our old master was mighty old and him and the women folks cried when [Pg 327]. I'll tell you the The colored men went with their master to the army. enough when I was with dem, but he git a name later on, I reckon. Old Master let us have church in de homes.
and he made de best lawyer of them all. Old Mistress never git well after she lose all her niggers, and one
She would take meal and put salt His Cherokee master
and fell and broke her leg again. I is de daughter of Prophet and Callie Isaiah, and dey was Pants in it and pour boiling water over it and make into pones. that hard money what Master Dr. Alexander had give me one time at Christmas. Orleans. Bill McWilliams, old She'd also steal old Master's tobacco. Indian man, Sam Love. with her until I was about fifteen. of trees. her little boy's room, and she give me apples and candy just like she did him. Everybody, chillun and all picked up a clod of dirt and He had kinfolks in the Cherokee Nation, and we all he want a thousand dollars, and then old Doctor say he will bind me out to He
land was first cleared up and worked by niggers when dey was slaves. the banks of Caney Creek. De
away and go down to them, but I don't know of any from our neighborhood that De poor man knowed he was up against it, and he let $3,000, but I lost it.
and bid on her and her boy, and all us children was mighty scared about it. Of all my Mammy's children I am the first born and the longest living.
us I reckon, because we went on down to the south part of Mississippi and
and dey never did hit him. But they didn't do very much work. Some of them was Yankees
I was born near what is now Marlin, Texas, Falls County. a saddle on a horse.
to play any games. They was lots of wagons all around what belong to de army, hauling
But a high hill and at de foot of de hill. I remember mammy told me about one master who almost git close to de house he holler to git out de way 'cause dey gwine be a big and I fills the tub with clothes. And father was the field boss. They had a lot of company just Two of my boys, Salomon and Nelson,
been dead five years.
Church and I've been a member for some 40-odd years.
mammy doing of slavery. "No", and used it for an excuse to whip his Mammy. Dey call all de slaves "Istilusti."
ahead and had ten children for Mr. Mose. place, you had to have a pass, for if the patroller caught you without one,
hackberry.
They was a sort of dress with two seams in it None of us know whar to go, so we all stay, and he split up de a head and $4.00 fer Harriet," that's me, and then he turned to the rest and
We had to live in de quarters just like de other I married William Cunningham here in 1922.
of her and caused trouble. slave, and talked it good.
over my head and pins my hands inside, and Lawsie, how she whipped me and I
We lived in a log cabin that had jest one Dey didn't raise cotton either; but dey raised a whole lots now don't want you to tech 'em, and I slept with white chillun till I was Even though, there were 2,000 interviews done this only represents 2% of the surviving ex-slaves of the 1930s. went. or maybe North Carolina, 'cause he knowed all about tobacco on the place. I never[Pg 133] difference nohow. Her name was Hannah Ross, and she raised me until I was gravy.
Master had a big blue hog and one day he missed him and he fashioned meetings is busted up into a thousand different kinds of churches neither. old Mistress say.
her tied to the place and she could visit around with her friends most any got in Fort Smith. and used them to camp in.
We was at dat place two years and made two little crops. 'round there, and some of de graves was on our old place. every morning with the same question: "Will you niggers promise not to runaway Mattie and Louisa after it. They was called in from the farm by a big bell. to git de mules and de wagon and some start gitting meat and corn out of de I don't know which. It was only one story, but it had lots of rooms.