ALLEN V MANNING AGE 87. SLAVE IN MISSISSIPPI  OKLA #30
     I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN SOMEWHERE IN THE SOUTH, MOST$Y IN   X SWHEN I WAS A YOU
NG MAN, AND OF COURSE US NEGROES NEVER GOT MUCH OF A SHOW IN COURT MATTERS, BUT
I RECKON IF I HAD HAD THE CHANCE TO SIT ON A JURY I WOULD HAVE MADE A MIGHTY POO
R      OUT AT IT.
     NO SIR, I JUST CANT SIT IN JUDGMENT ON NOBODY, CAUSE I LEARNED6>HnN I6W S
JUST A LITTLE BOY THAT GOOD PEOPLE AND BAD      PEOPLE, MAKES NO DIFFERENCE WHIC
H, JUST KEEP ON LIVING AND DOING LIKE THEY BEEN TAUGHT, AND I JUST CANT SEEM TO
BLAME THEM NONE FOR WHAT THEY DO IF THEY BEEN TAUGHT THAT WAY.
     I WAS BORN IN SLAVERY, AND I BELONGED TO A BAPTIST7PREA.( .      LL9IWAS
FIFTEEN YEARS OLD I WAS TAUGHT THAT I WAS HIS OWN CHATTEL PROPERTY, AND HE
COULD DO WITH ME LIKE HE WANTED TO, BUT HE HAD BEEN TAUGHT THAT WAY TOO, AND WE
BOTH BELIEVED IT.  I NEVER DID HOLD NOTHING AGAINST HIM FOR BEING HARD ON NEGROE
S SOMETIMES, AND I DONT THINK I EVER WOULD HAVE HAD ANY TROUBLE EVEN IF I HAD GR
OWN UP AND DIED IN SLAVERY.
     ,HEYOUNG NEGROES DONT KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THAT TODAY, AND LOTS OF THEM ARE
RISING UP AND AMOUNTING TO SOMETHING, AND ALL US NEGROES IS PROUD OF TTHEM.
YOU SEE, IT IS BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN TAUGHT THAT THEY GOT AS GOOD A SHOW TO BE
SOMETHING AS ANYBODY, IF THEY TRIES HARD.
     WELL, THIS OLD NEGRO KNOWS ONE THING.  THEY ARE GETTING SOMEWHERE CAUSE THE
YOUNG WHITE FOLKS ARE LETTING THEM AND HELPING THEM TO DO IT, CAUSE THE WHITE
FOLKS HAVE BEEN TAUGHT THE SAME WAY, AND I PRAISE GOO IT IS GETTING TO BE THAT W
AY, TOO.  BUT IT ALL GO TO SHOW, PEOPLE DO LIKE THEY BEEN TAUGHT TO DO.
     LIKE I SAY,  MY MASTER WAS A PREACHER AND A KIND MAN, BUT HE TREATED ,HE-NE
GROES JUST LIKE THEY TREATED HIM.  HE BEEN TAUGHT THAT THEY WAS JUST LIKE HIS WO
RK HORSES, AND IF THEY ACT LIKE THEY HIS WORK HORSES THEY GET ALONG ALL RIGHT.
BUT IF THEY DONT  OH$ OH$
     LIKE ,HE DIXIE SONG SAY, I WAS BORN ON A6OS,Y

                                                     G  T3,(EPLANTATION I
N CLARKE COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI, IN THE FALL OF 1850 THEY TELL ME.  THE OLD PLACE L
OOKED THE SAME ALL THE TIME I WAS A CHILD, CLEAN UP TO WHEN WE PULLED OUT AND LE
FT THE SECOND YEAR OF THE WAR.
     I CAN SHUT MY EYES AND THINK ABOUT IT AND IT SEEMS TO COME RIGHT UP rN6oRON
T OF ME JUST LIKE IT LOOKED.  FROM MY PAPPYS CABIN THE BIG HOUSE WAS OFF TO THE
WEST, CLOSE TO THE BIG ROAD, AND MOST OF THE FIELDS STRETCHED OFF TO THE NORTH.
 THnRE WAS A BIG PATVH OF WOODS OFF TO THE EAST, jND-NOTMUCH OPEN LAND BETWEEN
US AND THE CHICKASAWHAY RIVER.  OFF TO THE SOUTHWEST A FEW MILES WAS THE BUCATUN
NA CREEK, AND THE PLANTATION WAS KIND OF IN THE FORKS BETWEEN THEM, A LITTLE WAY
S EAST OF QUITMAN, MISSISSIPPI.
    -PLD-MASTnRS-PnOPLE BEnN-LIVrNG AT cHATPLACE A MIGHT LONG TIME, AND MOST TH
E HOUSES AND BARNS WAS OLD AND BEEN REPAIRED TIME AND TIME AGAIN, BUT IT WAS A M
IGHTY PRETTY PLACE.  THE BIG HOUSE WAS BUILT LONG, WITH A LOT OF ROOMS ALL IN A
ROW AND A LONG PORCH, BUT IT WAS NOT FINE LIKE A LOT OF THE HOUSES WE SAW AS WE
PASSED BY WHEN WE LEFT THAT PLACE TO GO TO LOUISIANA.
     OLD MASTER DID NOT HAVE ANY OVERSEER HIRED, BUT HE jND HIS2kO\SLOOKED AFTE
R THE PLACE AND HAD A NEGRO WE CALLED THE DRIVER.  WE ALL SURE HATED THAT OLD BL
ACK MAN, BUT I FORGET HIS NAME NOW.  THAT DRIVER NEVER WAS ALLOWED TO THINK UP
NOTHING FOR THE SLAVES TO DO,  BUT JUST WAS TOLD TO MAKE THEM WORK HARD AT WHAT
THE MASTER AND HIS BOYS TOLD THEM TO DO.  WHITE FOLKS HAD TO SET THEM AT A JOB A
ND THEN OLD DRIVER WOULD WHOOPITY AND WHOOPITY AROUND, AND EGG THEM AND EGG THEM
 UNTIL THEY FINISHED UP, SO THEY CAN GO AT SOMETHI G n S(. 8HEWORKED HARD HIMSE
LF, THOUGH, AND SET A MIGHTY HARD PATTERN FOR THE REST TO KEEP UP WITH.  LIKE I
SAY, HE BEEN TAUGHT HE DID NOT KNOW HOW TO THINK, SO HE DID NOT TRY.
     OLD MISTRESS NAME WAS MARY, AND THEY HAD TWO DAUGHTnS,LEVIA AND BETTY.  T
HEY HAD THREE SONS.  THE OLDEST WAS NAMED BILL JUNIOR, AND HE WAS PLUMB GROWN WH
EN I WAS A BOY, BUT THE OTHER TWO, JEDSON AND JIM, WAS JUST A LITTLE OLDER THAN
 ME.
     OLD MASTER DID NOT HAVE BUT TWO OR THREE SINGLE NEGROES, BUT HE&HAD2bEenr L
 FAMILIES, AND MOST OF THEM WAS BIG ONES.  MY OWN FAMILY WAS PRETTY GOOD SIZE,BB
UT THREE OF THE CHILDREN WAS BORN FREE.  PAPPYS NAME WAS WILLIAM AND MAMMYS WAS
LUCY.  MY BROTHER JOE WAS THE OLDEST CHILD AND THEN CAME ADELINE, HARRIET, AND T
EXANA AND BETTY BEFORE THE SURRENDER, AND THEN HENRY, MATTIE AND LOUISA AFTER IT
.
     WHnN THE WAR CAME ALONG OLD MASTER J ST DID-  TKNOW WHAT TO DO.  HE ALWAYS
 BEEN TAUGHT NOT TO RAISE HIS HAND UP AND KILL NOBODY, NO MATTnR qOW lOME, jND H
E JUST KEPT HOLDING OUT AGAINST ALL THEM THAT WAS TALKING ABOUT FIGHTING, AND HE
 WOULD NOT GO AND FIGHT.  HE BEEN TAUGHT THAT IT WAS ALL-RIGHT tO HAVE2slAe S&jN
D TREAT THEM LIKE HE WANT TO, BUT HE BEEN TAUGHT IT WAS SINFUL TO GO FIGHT AND K
ILL TO KEEP THEM, AND HE LIVED UP TO WHAT HE BEEN TAUGHT.
     THEY WAS SOME CHOCTAW PEOPLE LIVED jROuND ,(n (,& nDTHEY FLEW UP AND WENT
RIGHT OFF TO THE WAT, AND MISTER TROT HAND AND MISTER JOE BROWN THAT HAD PLANTAT
IONS ON THE BIG ROAD TOWARDS QUITMAN BOTH WENT OFF WITH THEIR GROWN BOYS RIGHT A
T THE START, BUT OLD MASTER WAS A PREACHER AND HE JUST STAYED OUT OF IT.
I REMEMBER ONE DAY I WAS SENT UP TO THE BIG HOUSE AND I HEARD OLD MASTER AND SOM
E MEN OUT AT THE GATE EXPOUNDING ABOUT THE WAR.  SOME OF THE MEN HAD ON SOLDIERS
 CLOTHES, AND THEY ACTED LIKE ,H(Y6WAS MA<.   OME O<Y  nLLME LATER ON THAT THEY
 WAS GETTING UP A HOME GUARD BECAUSE ,HE8YANKEES  ONE7 OT  OWN9IN AL BjMAN  T
FAR AWAY, BUT OLD MASTER WOULD NOT GO IN WITH THEM.
     TWO, THREE DAYS AFTER THAT, IT SEEMS LIKE, OLD MASTnR SjME mOwN  O ,HE
QUARTERS AND SAY GET EVERYTHING BUNDLED UP AND IN THE WAGONS, FOR A LONG TRIP.
THE NEGROES ALL CAME IN AND EVERYBODY PITCHED IN TO HELP PACK UP THE WAGONS.
THEN OLD MASTER LOOKED AROUND AND HE CANT FIND ANDY.  ANDY WAS ONE NEGRO THAT NE
VER DID ACT LIKE HE BEEN TAUGHT, AND OLD MASTERS PATIENCE ABOUT WORE OUT WITH HI
M ANUWAYS.
     WE ALL KNEW THAT ANDY DONE RUN OFF AGAIN, BUT WE DID NOT KNOW WHERE  ;. L E
ASTWISE ALL THE NEGROES TELL OLD MASTER THAT.  BUT OLD MASTER SOO SHOWED US WE D
ONE THE WORK AND HE DONE THE THINKING$  HE JUST GOES AHEAD AND KEEPS ALL THE NEG
ROES BUSY FIXING UP THE WAGONS AND BUNDLING UP THE STUFF TO TRAVEL, AND KEEPS US
 ALL IN HIS SIGHT ALL THE TIME, AND SAYS NOTHING ABOUT ANDY BErNG7 On(.
     THEN THAT NIGHT HE SENDS FOR A WHITE MAN NAMED CLEMENTS THAT GOT SOME BLOOD
 HOUNDS, AND HIM AND MISTER CLEMENTS TAKES TIME ABOUT STAYING  W KE jND
WATCHING ALL THE CABINS TO SEE NOBODY SLIPS OUT OF THEM.  EVERYBODY WAS AFRAID
TO STICK THEIR HEAD OUT.
     EARLY NEXT MORNING WE HAS ALL THE WAGONS READY TO DRIVE-R!HTOFF, AND OLD
MASTER CALLS ANDYS BROTHER TO HIM.  HE SAY  YOU GO DOWN TO THAT SPRING AND WAIT,
 AND WHEN ANDY COMES DOWN TO THE SPRING TO FILL THAT CEDAR BU KETYOU STOLE OUT
OF THE SMOKE HOUSE FOR HIM TO GET WATER IN YOU TELL HIM TO COME ON IN HERE.  TEL
L HIM I KNOW HE IS HIDING OUT WAY DOWN THE BRANCH WHERE HE CAN COME UP WADING TH
E WATER CLEAN UP TO THE CORNFIELD AND THE MELON PATCH, SO THE HOUNDS WONT GET
HIS SCENT, BUT I AM GOING TO SEND TO HOUNDS DOWN THERE IF HE DONT COME ON IN RIG
HT NOW.  THEN WE ALL KNEW WE WAS FOR THE WORK AND OLD MASTER WAS FOR THE THINKIN
G, CAUSE PRETTY SOON ANDY COME ON IN.  HE HAD BEEN RIGHT WHERE OLD MASTER THINK
HE IS.
     ABOUT THAT TIME MISTER SEARS CAME RIDING DOWN THE BIG ROAD.  HE WAS A DE  O
N IN OLD MASTERS CHURCH, AND HE SEES US ALL PACKED UP TO LEAVE AND SO HE LIGHT A
T THE GATE AND WALKED UP TO WHERE WE ARE.  HE ASKS OLD MASTER WHERE WE ALL
LIGHTING OUT FOR, AND OLD MASTER SAY FOR LOUISIANA.  WE NEGO
LIGHTING OUT FOR, AND OLD MASTER SAY FOR LOUISIANA.  WE NEGROES DONT KNOW WHERE
THAT IS.  THEN OLD DEACON SAY WHAT OLD MASTER GOING TO DO WITH ANDY, CAUSE THERE
 STOOD-MISTER CLEMENTS HOLDING HIS BLOODHOUNDS jND-OLD M STnR HAD&HSCC  o n n T
AILS  IN HIS HAND.
     OLD MASTER SAY JUST WATCH HIM, AND HE TELL ANDY IF HE CjN-M KE&IT3 O3 H TB
IG BLACK GUM TREE DOWN AT THE GATE BEFORE THE HOUNDS GET HIM HE CAN STAY RIGHT U
P IN THAT TREE AND WATCH US ALL DRIVE OFF.  THEN HE TELL ANDY TO GET$
     POOR ANDY JUST GET HOLD OF THE BOTTOM LIMBS WHEN THE BLOOD HOUNDS pR B&HrM
 AND PULL HIM DOWN ONTO THE GROUND.  TIME OLD MASTnR jNDMISTER CLEMENTS GET DOW
N THERE THE HOUNDS DONE TORE OFF ALL ANDYS CLOTHES AND BIT HIM ALL OVER BAD.  HE
 WAS ROLLING ON THEGROUND AND HOLDING HIS SHIRT UP ROUND HIS TqROAT WHnNMISTER
CLEMENTS GOT THERE AND PULLED THE HOUNDS OFF OF HIM.
     THEN OLD MASTER LIGHT IN ON HIM WITH THAT CATOFNINETAILS, AND I DONT K OW J
 HOW MANY LASHES HE GAVE HIM, BUT HE JUST B OODY jLLOOVnR& nDDONE FIANTED PRETT
Y SOON.  OLD DEACON SEARS STAND IT AS LONG AS HE CAN AND THEN HE STEP UP AND GRA
B OLD MASTERS ARM AND SAY TIME TO STOP, BROTHER$ I AM SPEAKING IN THE NAME OF JE
SUS$  OLD MASTER QUIT THEN, BUT HE STILL POWERFUL MAD.  I DONT THINK HE L
BELIEVED ANDY WAS GOING TO MAKE THAT TREE WHEN HE TELL HIM THAT.
     THEN HE TURN ON ANDYS BROTHER AND GAVE HIM A GOOD BEATrNG tOO, jND fE&jLL&D
ROVE OFF AND LEFT ANDY SITTING ON THE GROUND UNDER A TREE AND OLD DEACON STANDIN
G BY HIM.  I DONT KNOW WHAT EVER BECAME OF ANDY, BUT I RECKON MAYBE HE WENT AND
LIVED WITH OLD DEACON SEARS UNTIL HE WAS FREE.
     WHnN I THINK BA K jND-RnMn BnR I,, IT jLL2 En SKIND OF STRANGE, BUT IT SEE
MS LIKE OLD MASTER AND OLD DEACON BOTH THINK THE SAME WAY.  THEY KIND OF UNDERST
AND THAT OLD MASTER HAD A RIGHT TO BEAT HIS NEGRO ALL HE WANTED TO FOR RUNNING O
FF, AND HE HAD A RIGHT TO SET THE HOUNDS ON HIM IF HE DID, BUT HE SHOULD NOT
HAVE BEAT HIM SO HARD AFTER HE TOLD HIM HE WAS GOING TO LET HIM OFF O
IF HE MADE THE TREE, AND HE OUGHT TO KEEP HIS WORD EVEN IF ANDY WAS HIS OWN SLAV
E.  THAT IS THE WAY BOTH OF THEM WHITE MEN HAD BEEN TAUGHT, AND THAT WAS THE WAY
 THEY2kOcHLIVED.
     OLD MASTER HAD ABOUT FIVE WAGONSON THAT TRIP DOWN rN OLOUISIANA, BUT THEY
WAS ALL FULL OF STUFF AND ONLY THE OLD SLAVES AND CHILDREN COULD RIDE IN THEM.
I WAS BIG ENOUGH TO WALK MOST OF THE TIME, BUT ONE TIME I WALKED IN THE SUN SO L
ONG THAT I GOT SICK AND THEY PUT ME IN THE WAGON FOR MOST OF THE REST OF THE WAY
.
     WE WOULD COME TO PLACES WHERE THE PEOPLE SAID THE YjNKEES HAD BEnN&jnD&pOnE
, BUT WE DIDNT RUN INTO ANY YANKEES.  THEY WAS MOST TO THE NORTH OF US I RECKON,
 BECAUSE WE WENT ON DOWN TO THE SOUTH PART OF MISSISSIPPI AND6FnRRIED A SS ,(E
 BIG-RIVnR AT BATON-ROUGE.  THnN WE WnNT-ON tO-LAFAhETcE,LOUISIANA, BEFORE WE S
ETTLED DOWN ANYWHERE.
     ALL US NEGROES THOUGHT THAT WAS A MIGHTY2StRj  EPLACE.  WE WOULD HEAR WHIT
E FOLKS TALKING AND WE COULD NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY SAID, AND LOTS OF TE NEGRO
ES TALKED THE SAME WAY, TOO.  IT WAS ALL FULL OF FRENCH PEOPLE AROUND LAFAYETTE
, BUT THEY HAD ALL THEIR MENFOLKS IN THE CONFEDERATE ARMY JUST THE SAME.
I SEEN LOTS OF MEN IN BUTTERNUT CLOTHES COMING AND GOING HITHER AND YON, BUT THE
Y WAS NOT IN BUNCHES.  THEY WAS MOSTLY COMING HOME TO SEE THEIR FOLKS.
     EVEY O<Y6WAS SCARED ALL THE TIME, AND  wOOR THREE TIMES WHEN OLD MASTER
HIRED HIS NEGROES OUT TO WORK THE MAN THAT HIRED THEM QUIT HIS PLACE AND WENT
ON WEST BEFORE THEY GOT THE CROP IN.  BUT OLD MASTER GOT A PLACE AND WE PUT IN A
 COTTON CROP, AND I THINK HE GOT SOME MONEY BY SELLING HIS-PLACE rN-MISSISSrPPI.
  ANYWAY, PRETTY SOON AFTER THE COTTON WAS ALL IN HE MOV S  GA N  nDGOES TO A
PLACE ON SIMONETTE LAKE FOR THE WINTER.  IT AINT A BIT COLD IN THAT PLACE, ANND
WE DID NOT HAVE NO FIRE EXCEPTING TO COOK, AND SOMETIMES A LITTLE CHARCOAL FIRE
IN SOME CROCK POTS THAT THE PEOPLE LEFT ON THE PLACE WHEN THEY WENT ON OUT TO TE
XAS.
     THE NEXT SPRING-OLD-M STnR-LOADED uP AGArN jND6WE2StR  KOUT FOR TEXAS, WHE
N THE YANKEES GOT TOO CLOSE AGAIN.  BUT MASTER BILL DID NOT GO TO TEXAS, BECAUSE
 THE lONFEDnRAT S mONE lOME THAT WrNTnR jNDMADE HIM GO TO THE ARMY.  I THINK TH
EY TOOK HIM TO NEW ORLEANS, AND OLD MASTER WAS HOPPING MAD, BUT HE COULD NOT DO
ANYTHING OR THEY WOULD MAKE HIM GO TOO, EVEN IF HE WAS A PREACHER.
     I THINK HE LEFT OUT OF THERE PARTLY BECAUSE HE DID NOTLIKE THE PEOPLE AT T
HAT PLACE.  THERE WERENT NO BAPTISTS AROUND ANYWHERE, THEY WAS ALL CATHOLICS, AN
D OLD MASTER DID NOT LIKE THEM.
     ABOUT THAT TIME IT LOOK LIKE EVERYBODY IN THE WORLD WAS GOING tO TEXAS.  WH
EN WE WOULD BE GOING DOWN THE ROAD WE WOULD HAVE TO WALK ALONG THE SIDE ALL THE
TIME TO LET THE WAGONS GO PAST, ALL LOADED WITH FOLKS GOING TO TEXAS.
     PRETTY SOON OLD MASTER SAY GET THE WAGONS LOADED AGAIN, AND THIS TrME WE2ST
ART OUT WITH SOME OTHER PEOPLE, GOING NORTH.  WE GO NORTH A WHILE AND THEN TURN
WEST, AND CROSS THE SABINE RIVER AND GO TO NACHEDOCHES, TEXAS.  ME AND MY BROTHE
R JOE AND MY SISTER ADELINE WALKED NEARLY ALL THE WAY, BUT MY LITTLE SISTER HARR
IET AND MY MAMMY RODE IN A WAGON.  MAMMY WAS MIGHTY POORLY, AND JUST WHEN WE GOT
 TO THE SABINE BOTTOMS SHE HAD ANOTHER BABY.  OLD MASTER DID-NOT-L kE&ITCCA  E&I
T      WAS A GIRL, BUT HE NAMED HER TEXANA ON ACCOUNT OF WHERE SHE WAS BORN AND
TOLD US CHILDREN TO WAIT ON MAMMY GOOD AND MAYBE WE WOULD GET A LITTLE BROTHER N
EXT TIME.
     BUT WE DID NOT.  OLD MASTER WENT WITH A WHOLE BUNCH OF WApONS-ONOUT TO THE
-PRArRIE COUNTRY IN CORYELL COUNTY jND SET uP A FjRM6f(n EWE JUST HAD TO BREAK
 THE SOD AND DID NOT HAVE TO CLEAR OFF MUCH.  AND THE NEXTBB BYMAMMY HAD THE NE
XT YEAR WAS A GIRL.  WE NAMED HER BETTY BECAUSE MISTRESS JUST HAD A BABY A LITTL
E WHILE BEFORE AND ITS NAME WAS BETTY.
    -OLD-MASTnRS-PLACE WAS RIGHT AT cHE& O
                                          nnR6 (n ECORYELL AND MCLENNAN AND BO
SQUE COUNTIES COME TOGETHER, AND WE RAISED MOSTLY COTTON AND JUST A LITTLE CORN
FOR FEED.  HE SEEMED LIKE HE CHANGED A LOT SINCE WE LEFT MISSISSIPPI, AND SEEMED
 LIKE HE PAID MORE ATTENTION TO US AND LOOKED  FTnR  SBETTER.  BUT MOST THE PEO
PLE THAT ALREADY LIVED THERE WHEN WE GOT THERE WAS MIGHTY HARD ON THEIR NEGROES.
  THEY WAS MOSTLY HARD DRINKERS AND HARD TALKERS, AND THEY wORKED jND oOdGHTJUS
T AS HARD AS THEY TALKED, TOO$
     ONE DAY OLD MASTER CAME OUT FROM TOWN AND TELL US THAT WE ALL BEEN SET FREE
, AND WE CAN GO OR STAY JUST AS WE WISH.  ALL OF MY FAMILY STAYED ON THE PLACE A
ND HE PAID US HALF AS SHARES ON ALL WE MAKE.  PRETTY SOON THE WHITE FOLKS BEGIN
TO CUT DOWN ON THE SHARES, AND THE RENTERS GET ONLY A THIRD AND SOME LESS, AND T
HE NEGROES BEGIN TO DRIFT OUT TO OTHER PLACES, BUT OLD MASTER STICK TO THE HALVE
S A YEAR OR SO AFTER THAT.  THEN HE CAME DOWN TO A THIRD TOO.
     IT SEnMED-LrKE THE WHITE-P OPLE CjNT7GETOVER US BEING FREE, AND THEY DO EV
ERYTHING TO HOLD US DOWN ALL THE TIME.  WE DONT GET NO SCHOOLS FOR A LONG TIME,
AND I NEVER SAW THE INSIDE OF A SCHOOL.  I JUST GREW UP ON HARD WORK.  AND WE
CAN NOT GO ROUND WHERE THEY HAVE THE VOTING, UNLESS WE WANT TO CATCH A WHIPPING
SOME NIGHT, AND WE HAVE TO JUST KEEP ON BOWING AND SCRAPING WHEN WE ARE AROUND W
HITE FOLKS LIKE WE DID WHEN WE WAS SLAVES.  THEY HAD US DOWN AND THEY KEPT US DO
WN.  BUT THAT WAS THEY WAY THEY BEEN TAUGHT, AND I DONT BLAME THEM FOR IT NOE, I
 RECKON.
     WHEN I GOT ABOUT THIRTY YEARS OLD I MARRIED BETTY SADLER CLOSE TO WAlO, jND
 WE lOME TO THE CREEK NATION FORTY YEARS ApO.  WE CjME  OMUSKOGEE FIRST, AND TH
EN TO TULSA ABOUT THIRTY SEVEN YEARS AGO.
     WE HAD TEN CHILDREN BUT ONLY SEVEN ARE ALIVE.  THREE GIRLS AND A kOY-LIVE H
ERE IN TULSA AND WE GOT ONE BOY IN MUSKOGEE AND ONE AT FREDERICK, OKLAHOMA.
     I SOLD MILK AND MADE MY LIVING, AND I KEEP SO BUSY I DONT THrNK2BA K-ON THE
 OLD DAYS MUCH, BUT IF ANYBODY ASK WHY THE TEXAS NEGROES BEnNKKnPT& O NSO MUCH
I CAN TELL THEM.  IF THEY SAT LIKE I DID ON THE BANK AT THAT FERRY ACROSS THE SA
BINE, AND SEE ALL THAT LONG LINE OF COVERED WAGONS, MILES AND MILES OF THEM, CRO
SSING THAT RIVER AND GOING WEST WITH ALL THEY GOT LEFT OUT OF THE WAR, IT AINT H
ARD TO UNDERSTAND.
     THEM WHITE FOLKS DONE HAD EVERYTHING THEY HAD TORE uP,-OR HAD  ORUN AWAY F
ROM THE PLACES THEY LIVED, AND THEY BRUNG THEIR NEGROES OUT TO TEXAS AND THEN
RIGHT AWAY THEY LOST THEM TOO.  THEY ALWAYS HAD THEIR NEGROES, AND LOTS OF THEM
HAD MIGHTY FINE PLACES BACK IN THE OLD STATES, AND THEN THEY HAD TO GO OUT AND L
IVE IN SOD HOUSES AND LITTLE OLD BOXED SHOTGUNS AND TURN THEIR NEGROES LOOSE.
THEY DID NOT SEE NO JUSTICE IN IT THEN, AND MOST OF THEM NEVER DID UNTIL THEY DI
ED.  THE FOLKS THAT STAYED AT HOME AND DIDNT STRAGGLE ALL OVER THE COUNTRY HAD T
HEIR OLD PLACES TO LIVE ON AND THEIR OLD FRIENDS AROUND THEM, BUT THE TEXANS WER
E DIFFERENT.
     SO I SAY, WHEN THEY DONE US THE WAY THEY DID TH(Y6W SJUST DOING THE WAY
THEY BEEN TAUGHT.  I DONT BLAME THEM, BECAUSE ANYBODY WILL DO THAT.
     WHITE FOLKS MIGHTY DECENT TO ME NOW, AND I ALWAYS TRIED tO TEACHMY CHILDRE
N TO BE RESPECTFUL AND ACT LIKE THEY THINK THE WHITE FOLKS THEY ARE DEALING WITH
 EXPECTS THEN TO ACT.  THAT THE WAY TO GET ALONG, BECAUSE2 OmEFo  KSBEEN TAUGHT
 ONE WAY AND SOME BEEN TAUGHT ANOTHER, AND FOLKS ALWAYS THINKS THE WAY THEY
BEEN TAUGHT.
  X   XXX