MY MISSUS NAME WAS BETSY. MY FUST MASTER, I HAD TWO, WAS MASTER AUFY POOL. DEN
HE GIVE US TO HIS SON, ER HIS SON BOUGHT US AT DE SALE WHEN MASTER AUFY DIED.
AFTER MASTER AUFY DIED, HIS SON, LOUIS POOL WUZ MY MASTER DEN, AN HIS
PLANTATION WUZ IN JOHNSTON COUNTY. MY MOTHER WUZ NAMED VIOLET POOL. SHE
DIED IN CHILD BIRTH TWO YEARS AFTER I WUZ BORN .  MY FATHER WUZ NAMED PETER
TURNER. HE BELONGED TO JOHN TURNER IN JOHNSTON COUNTY,  RIGHT NEAR CLAYTON.
     MY GRANDFATHER, I HAD TWO GRANDFATHERS, ONE ON MY MOTHER'S SIDE AND ONE ON
MY FATHER'S SIDE. ON MY MOTHER'S SIDE TOM POOL, ON MY FATHER'S SIDE JERRY
BEDDINGFIELD. I NEVER SEED MY GREAT-GRANDPARENTS, BUT MY GREAT-GRANDFATHER
WUZ NAMED BUCK. HE WUZ RIGHT OUT O AFRICA. HIS WIFE WUZ NAMED HAGAR. I NEVER HAV
E SEEN DEM, BUT MY GRANDMOTHER WUZ DERE DAUGHTER. DEY HAD THREE CHILLUN HERE
IN AMERICA. MY GRANDMAMMIE AND GRANDFATHER TOLD ME THIS. MY BROTHERS WERE NAME
, OLDEST ONE, HAYWOOD, DEN LEM, AN PETER , AN ME, PARKER POOL. DE GIRLS, OLDEST
 GIRL WUZ MINERVA        RILLA.
     I HAD GOOD OWNERS. MY MISSUS AND MASTER DEY TOOK JES AS GOOD KEER O ME
AS THEY COULD. DEY WUZ GOOD TO ALL DE HAN'S. DEY GIV US PLENTY TO EAT, AN WE HAD
PLENTY O CLOTHES, SICH AS THEY WUZ, BUT DE WUZ NO SICH CLOTHES AS WE HAVE NOW.
DEY TREATED US GOOD , I WILL HAVE TO SAY DAT. DEY ARE DEAD IN THEIR GRAVES,
BUT I WILL HAVE TO SAY DIS FER EM.  OUR HOUSES WERE IN DE GROVE. WE CALLED
MASTER'S HOUSE DE GREAT HOUSE. WE CALLED OUR HOMES DE HOUSES. WE HAD GOOD
PLACES TER SLEEP.
     WE GOT UP AT LIGHT. I HAD TO DO MOST O THE NURSIN O DE CHILLUN, CAUSE WHEN
CHOPPIN TIME COME DE WOMEN HAD TO GO TO WORK. WE HAD PLENTY TER EAT, AN WE ET IT
.  OUR SOME'IN TO EAT WUZ WELL FIXED AN COOKED. WE CAUGHT A LOT O POSSUMS,
COONS AN OTHER GAME, BUT I TELL YER A COON IS A LOT HARDER TO KETCH DEN A POSSUM
.  WE HAD ONE GARDEN, AN DE COLRED PEOPLE TENDED DE GARDEN, AN ALL ET OUNT'N IT
.
     DERE WUZ ABOUT TWO THOUSAND ACRES IN DE PLANTATION. ALL DE FARM LAN WUZ FEN
CED IN WID WOOD RAILS. DE HOGS, COWS AN STOCK WUZ TURNED OUT IN DE WOODS, AN
LET GO. THE COWS WUZ DRIVED HOME AT NIGHT , DAT IS IF DEY DIDN'T COME UP. DAT IS
 SO WE COULD MILK DE ONES WE WANTED TER MILK.
      WE DUG DITCHES TO DRAIN DE LAN, BLIN DITCHES; WE DUG EM AN DEN PUT POLES O
N TOP, AN COVERED EM WID BRUSH AN DIRT. WE PUT DE BRUSH ON DE POLES TO KEEP DE D
IRT FROM RUNNING THROUGH. DEN WE PLOUGHED OVER DE DITCHES.
     WE TANNED OUR LEATHER IN A TAN TROUGH. WE USED WHITE OAK BARK AN RED OAK BA
RK. DEY PUT COPPERAS IN IT TOO, I THINK.
     I KNOWS HOW TO RAISE FLAX. YOU GROW IT AN WHEN IT IS GROWN YOU PULL IT CLEA
N UP OUT OF DE GROUN TILL IT KINDER ROTS.  DEY HAVE WHAT DEY CLLED A BRAKE, DEN
IT WUZ BROKE UP IN DAT. DE BARK WUZ DE FLAX. DEY HAD A STICK CALLED A SWINGLE ST
ICH, MADE KINDER LIKE A SWORD. DEY USED DIS TO KNOCK DE STICKS OUT O DE FLAX. DE
Y WOULD DEN PUT DE FLAX ON A HACKLE, A BOARD WID A LOT OF PEGS IN IT. DEN DEY CL
EAN AN STRING IT OUT TILL IT LOOKS LAK YOUR HAIR. DEY FLAX WHEN IT CAME FROM DE
HACKLES WUZ READY FOR DE WHEEL WHUR IT WUZ SPUN INTO THREAD. I TELL YOU, YOU COU
LDN'T      BREAK IT EITHER.
     WHEN IT WUZ SPUN INTO  THREAD DEY PUT IT ON  A REEL. IT TURNED ONE HUNDRED
AND STRUCK, WHEN IT STRUCK IT WUZ CALLED A BROACH.  DE CUTS STOOD FER SO MUCH
FLAX. SO MANY CUTS MADE A YARD, BUT DERE WUZ MORE TER DO, SIZE IT, AND HANK
IT BEFORE IT WUZ WEAVED. MOST OF THE WHITE PEOPLE HAD FLAX CLOTHES.
     WE HAD NO CHURCH ON DE PLANTATION. WE HAD PRAYER MEETIN AN CANDY PULLIN'S ,
 AN WE WOULD ASK SLAVES FROM OTHER PLANTATIONS. MY MASTER HAD NO PUBLIC CORN
SHUCKIN'S. HIS SLAVES SHUCKED HIS CORN. HE HAD  ABOUT FIFTY HEAD. DE SLAVES DEY
 WENT TO DE WHITE FOLKS' CHURCH. DEY HAD A PLACE SEPARATE FROM DE WHITE FOLKS
BY A RAILIN. WE COULD LOOK AT DE PREACHER AN HEAR HIM PREACH TOO.
     NO, SIREE, DEY WOULDN'T LET US HAVE NO BOOKS. DEY WOULD NOT LET NONE O DE
CHILLUNS TELL US ANYTHING ABOUT A BOOK. I CAIN'T READ AN WRITE, NOT A BIT. DEY
PREACHED TO US TER OBEY OUR MASTER.  PREACHER JOHN ELLINGTON WUZ MY FAVORITE
PREACHER. NO NIGGER WUZ ALLOWED TER PREACH. DEY WUZ ALLOWED TER PRAY AND
SHOUT SOMETIMES, BUT DEY BETTER NOT BE KETCHED WID A BOOK. DE SONGS DAT DEY
SUNG DEN, DEY HARDLY EVER SING EM NOW. DEY WERE DE GOOD OLE SONGS. "HARK FROM DE
 TOMB DE DOLEFUL SOUND." "MY YEARS ARE TENDER," "CRY,YOU LIVIN MAN," "COME VIEW
DIS GROUN WHERE WE MUST SHORTLY LIE."
     NO ONE RAN AWAY FROM OUR PLANTATION, BUT DEY DID FROM SOME OTHER PLANTATION
S. WHEN SOME O DE NIGGERS WERE CARRIED BY DERE MASTERS TO WAIT ON EM AS SERVANTS
 UP NORTH, SOME O DE OTHER PEOPLE WOULD SEE HOW DEY WERE TREATED AN GIT EM TO
RUN AWAY. WHEN DERE MASTER STARTED HOME DEY COULDN'T FIND EM. DEY TOOK AND EDUCA
TED EM AND MADE WOMEN AN MEN OUT'N EM.
     WE VISITED AT NIGHT DURING SLAVERY TIME. DE MEN WENT COURTIN. WHEN A MAN, A
 SLAVE, LOVED A WOMAN ON ANOTHER PLANTATION DEY AXED DER MASTER, SOMETIMES DE MA
STER WOULD AX DE OTHER MASTER. IF DEY AGREED ALL DE SLAVE MAN AN WOMAN HAD TER
DO SATURDAY NIGHT WUZ FER HIM TO COME OVER AND THEY WOULD GO TO BED TOGETHER.
DERE WUZ NO MARRIAGES UNTIL ATTER DE SURRENDER. ALL WHO WANTED TO KEEP DE SAME W
OMAN ATTER DE SURRENDER HAD TO PAY TWENTY-FIVE CENTS FER ER MARRIAGE LICENCE, DE
N ONE DOLLAR AND FIFTY CENTS, DEN THREE DOLLARS.  IF DE MAGISTRATE MARRIED YOU,
YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO PAY ANYTHING, LESS HE CHARGED YOU.
    WE GOT HOLIDAYS, CHRISTMAS, AND ATTER LAY BY TIME O DE CROPS. DEY HAD BIG DI
NNERS DEN. DEY HAD BIG TABLES SET IN DE YARD, DE RATIONS WUZ SPREAD ON EM, AN
EVERYBODY ET. WE HAD BRANDY AT CHRISTMAS.
     I HAVE BEEN WHUPPED TWICE, AN I HAVE SEEN SLAVES WHUPPED. HA] HA] MISSUS WH
UPPED ME. SHE WOULDN'T LET NOBODY ELSE WHUP ME NEITHER. I MEMBERS WHAT IT WUZ AB
OUT AS IF IT WUZ YESTERDAY. SHE WUZ FRETTED  BOUT DE COOK. WE WUZ SKINNIN IRISH
TATERS. SHE TOLE US TO MAKE HASTE, IF WE DIDN'T MAKE HASTE AN PEEL DE TATERS
SHE WOULD WHACK US DOWN. I LAUGHED, SHE SENT ME TO GIT A SWITCH. SHE HIT ME ON D
E LEGS.    WHEN WE WERE WHUPPED WE WOULD SAY "OH] PRAY]" AN DEY WOULD QUIT. IF
YOU ACTED STUBBORN DEY WOULD WHUP YOU MORE. SHE AXED ME:"AIN'T YOU GWINE TER SAY
  OH PRAY]" I WUZ MAD. SHE WUZ NOT HURTIN ME MUCH, AN I WOULDN'T SAY NUTHIN.
AFTER A WHILE I SAID "OH PRAY]" AND SHE QUIT.
                                        I HAD GOOD OWNERS ALL O DEM. MY MASTERS
NEVER DID HIT ME. MISSUS WOULD NOT WHUP ME MUCH. SHE JES WANTED TER SHOW OFF
SOMETIMES.
     WE HAD GOOD DOCTORS WHEN WE GOT SICK. I MEMBERS DOCTOR JAMES O CLAYTON
COMIN TO OUR HOUSE. DEY CARRIED DERE PILLS AN MEDICINE DEN, AN LEF IT AT DE
HOUSE FER YOU.
     MY MASTER HAD A SON IN DE WAR, WALTER POOL. HE WUZ A FOOT SOLDIER AT FIRST.
  HE GOT SICK AN HE COME HOME SICK ON A FURLOUGH. HE HIRED A MAN TO GO IN HIS PL
ACE AT FIRST, DEN DE MAN WENT. ATTER A WHILE DE MEN GOT SO SCARCE HE HAD TO GO
AGAIN; DEN HE GOT DE CHANCE TO GO IN DE CAVALRY. OLE MASTER BOUGHT HIM A HORSE,
AN HE COULD RIDE NEXT TIME. HE BELONGED TO THE FIRST GEORGIA REG. SECOND
CAVALRY, GENERAL DANGE'S BRIGADE, C COMPANY, NORTH CAROLINA VOLUNTEERS.
     I SAW DE CONFEDERATES GENERAL JOHNSON COME THROUGH.  I THINK I SEED
ENOUGH YANKEES COME THROUGH THERE TO WHUP ANYTHING ON GOD'S EARTH. THE YANKEES
CAMPED
    THREE MILES FROM OUR PLANTATION AT MISSUS WIDOW SARAH SAUNDERS  ACROSS
WHITE OAK CREEK ON DE AVERYSBORO ROAD. HER SON, CAPTAIN EDWARD SAUNDERS WUZ IN D
E CONFEDERATE ARMY. SHE WUZ A BIG SLAVE OWNER. SHE HAD ABOUT ONE HUNDRED SLAVES.
  SHE WUZ CALLED A RICH WOMAN.
     DE YANKEES PLAYED SONGS O WALKIN DE STREETS OF BALTIMORE AN WALKIN IN MARYL
AND. DEY REALLY PLAYED IT. DEY SLAUGHTERED COWS AND SOMETIMES ONLY ET DE LIVER.
I WENT TO DE CAMP ATTER DEY LEF AN IT WUZ DE AWFULEST STINK I EVER SMELT IN MY L
IFE.  DEY LEF DEM COWS PART O EM LYING WHUR DEY WERE IN DE CAMP. DEY KILLED
GEESE AN CHICKENS AN SKINNED EM. SOMETIMES DEY SKINNED DE HIND QUARTERS OF A
COW, CUT EM OFF AN LEF DE REST.
     WHEN DEY TOLE ME I WUZ FREE I DIDN'T NOTICE IT, I STAYED ON AND WORKED
JEST LIKE I HAD BEEN DOING, RIGHT ON WID MISSUS AND MASTER. I STAYED DERE A YEAR
 ATTER DE SURRENDER.
     I DUNNO WHAT TER THINK O ABRAHAM LINCOLN. DEY SAID HE WUZ ALL RIGHT. I GUES
S HE WUZ A MAN GOD LOVED, AN ALL RIGHT MAN. I THINK SOME O DE SLAVES WUZ BETTER
 OFF WHEN DEY HAD OWNERS AND WUZ IN SLAVERY DEN DEY IS NOW. DE COLORED PERPLE AR
E SLAVES NOW MORE DEN DEY WUZ DEN. I CAN SHOW WHEREIN DE NIGGER'S GOT ALL HIS EX
PENSES TER BEAR NOW. HE GITS HIS PAY OUTEN THE WHITE MAN AND THE WHITE MAN DONT
 PAY HIM MUCH. DE NIGGERS IN DE SOUTH IS JUST AS MUCH A SLAVE AS EVER. DE NIGGER
 NOW IS A BETTER SLAVE DEN WHEN DEY OWNED HIM, CAUSE HE HAS HIS OWN EXPENSES
TO BEAR. IF YOU WORKS A HORSE AN DOAN HAVE HIM TER FEED, YOU IS BETTER OFF, DEN
 IF YOU HAD TER FEED AND CARE FER HIM. DAT IS DE WAY DAT THING IS NOW.
     I SEED MANY PATTEROLLERS DURIN SLAVERY. IF DEY CAUGHT YOU OUT AT NIGHT WITH
OUT A PASS DEY WOULD WHUP YOU.
     I THINK MISTER ROOSEVELT IS A MIGHTY NICE MAN. HE HAS DONE ME A LOT O GOOD.
 NO MAN CAN MAKE TIMES REAL GOOD TILL EVERYBODY IS PUT TO WORK. WID DE LAN LYIN
 OUT DERE CAN'T BE REAL GOOD TIMES. DIS IS MY ILLUSTRATION. MY HORSE DIED LAST
YEAR. I AIN'T GOT NO MONEY TER BUY ANOTHER AND CAN'T GIT ONE. YOU SEE DAT LAN LY
IN OUT DERE I HAVE FARMED IT EVERY YEAR FER A LONG TIME. THROUGH PART O DE YEAR
 I ALWAYS HAD VEGETABLES AND SICH TER SELL, BUT NOW MY HORSE IS DEAD AN I AIN'T
GOT NOTHIN TER SELL. I IS BAD OUT O HEART. I SHORE HOPE SUMPIN WILL BE DONE
 FOR ME.   XXX