LEE GUIDON AGE SLAVE IN SOUTH CAROLINA YES MA'AM, I SURE WAS IN THE CIVIL WAR. I7P OWED LL D ,,& nDME AND MY SISTER HELPED TAKE CARE OF THE BABY AT NIGHT. IT WOULD CRY, AND ME BUMPING I T. TIME I GIT TO THE BED WHERE ITS MAMA WAS, IT WAKE UP AND START CRYING ALL OVER AGAIN. I BE SO SLEEPY. IT WAS A PUNY SORT OF BABY. ITS PAPA WAS OFF AT WAR. HIS NAME WAS JIM COWjN, jND HIS WIFE-mSSMARG ARET BROWN 'FORE SHE MARRIED HIM. MISS LUCY SMITH GIVE ME AND MY SISTER TO THEM . THEN SHE MARRIED MISTER ABE MOORE. JIM SMITH WAS MISS LUCY'S BOY. HE LAY OU T IN THE WOODS ALL TIME. HE SAY NO NEED IN HIM GITTING SHOT UP AND KILLED. HE SAY LET THE SLAVES BE FREE. WE LIVED, SEEMED LIKE, ON 'BOUT THE LINE OF YORK AN D UNION COUNTIES. HE LAY OUT IN THE WOODS OVER IN YORK COUNTY. MISTER JIM SAY ALL THEY FIGHTING 'BOUT WAS JEALOUSY. THEY CAUGHT HIM SEVERAL TIMES, BUT EVERY T IME HE GOT AWAY FROM 'EM. AFTER THEY COME HOME MISTER JIM SAY THEY NEVER WIN NO WAR. THEY STOLE AND STARVED OUT THE SOUTH. THEY DIDN'T WANT THE SLAVES TALKING 'BOUT THINGS. ONE TIME I GOT RUFF ED UP, AND I SAY I WAS GOING TO FREEDOM -- THE WOOD WHERE MISTER JIM BE -- AND I RECOLLECT WE WAS CROSSING OVER A RAILING FENCE. -MY-MA-PUT HnR&HjnDOVER MY MOU TH LIKE THIS AND SAY, "YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING 'BOUT WHAT YOU SAYING, BOY." I NEVER WILL FORGIT MISTER NEEL. HE WAS ALL OUR OVERSEER. HE SAY, "LE E GOOD BOY PLOWS SO GOOD." HE NEVER SPOKE AN UNKIND WORD IN HIS LIFE TO ME. WH EN I HAVE TO GO TO HIS HOUSE , HE CALL ME IN AND GIVE ME HOT BISCUITS OR MAYBE A POTATO. I SURE LOVE POTATO. HE WAS A GOOD OLD CHRISTIAN MAN. THE CHURCH WE ALL WENT TO WAS MADE OUTA HAND-HEWED LOGS -- GREAT BIG THINGS. MY PA LIVED IN UNION COUNTY ON THE OTHER SIDE THE CHURCH. HE LIVED TO BE ONE HUNDRED AND THREE YEARS OLD. -MA-LOST HnR-MrND. cH EY BOTH DIED RIGHT HERE WITH ME -- A PIECE OUTA TOWN. HE WAS NAMED POMPEY AND M A FANNIE. HER NAME 'FORE FREEDOM WAS FANNIE SMITH, THEN SHE TOOK THE NAME GUIDO N. AFTER FREEDOM A HEAP OF PEOPLE SAY THEY WAS GOING TO NjME THErRSnLV S OVER. THEY NAMED THEIRSELVES BIG NAMES, THEN WENT ROAMING ROUND LIKE WILD, HUNT ING CITIES. THEY CHANGED UP SO IT WAS HARD TO TELL WHO OR WHERE ANYBODY WAS. H EAP OF 'EM DIED, AND YOU DIDN'T KNOW WHEN YOU HEAR ABOUT IT IF HE WAS YOUR FOLKS HARDLY. SOME OF THE NAMES WAS ABRAHjM, jND2sOmE&CjLlED cHErbnLe SLINCUM. AN Y BIG NAME 'CEPTING THEIR MASTER'S NAME. IT WAS THE FASHION. I HEARD 'EM TALKI NG 'BOUT IT ONE EVENING, AND MY PA SAY, "FINE FOLKS RAISE US AND WE GONNA HOLD T O OUR OWN NAMES." THAT SETTLED IT WITH ALL OF US. MA WAS A SICKLY WOMAN ALL HER LIFE. THEY-KnPT HnRROUND THE HOUSE TO HELP COOK AND SWEEP THE YARDS. NOT A SPECK OF GRASS, NOT A WEED GROWED ON HER Y ARD. SHE SWEPT IT 'BOUT TWO TIMES A WEEK. IT WAS PRETTY AND WHITE. THE SAND J UST SHINED IN THE SUN. HAD TALL TREES IN THE YARD. I CAN'T RECOLLECT 'BOUT MY PAPA'S MASTER 'CAUSE I WAS-RAISED AT-MYMAM A'S MASTER'S PLACE. HE SAID MANY AND MANY A TIME JOE GUIDON NEVER HAD TO WHUP H IM. AFTER HE GROWED UP, HE NEVER GOT NO WHUPPINGS A-TALL. JOE GUIDON LEARNED H IM TO PLOW, AND HE WAS BOSS OF THE PLOW HANDS. HIS WIFE WAS NAMED MARIA GUIDON. HE SAY SHE WAS A MIGHTY GOOD EASY WOMAN TOO. SATURDAY WAS RATION DAY AND SUNDAY VISITING DAY. BUT yOU-MUST HAVE yO UR PASS IF YOU LEAVE THE FARM AND GO OVER TO SOMEBODY ELSE'S FARM. WHEN I WAS A BOY ONE THING I LOVE TO DO WAS GO TO STINGY TOM'S STILLHO USE. HIS NAME WAS TOM WHITESIDE. HE SURE WAS STINGY AND THE MEANEST WHITE MAN I EVER SEED. I WENT TO THE STILLHOUSE TO BEAT PEACHES TO MAKE BRANDY. IT WAS F OUR MILES OVER THERE, AND I RODE. WE ALWAYS MADE LEAST ONE BARREL OF PEACH BRAN DY AND ONE OF CIDER. THAT WOULD BE VINEGAR 'NOUGH BY SPRING. 'SIMMON BEER WAS GOOD IN THE COLD FREEZING WEATHER TOO. WE MAKE MUCH AS WE HAVE BARRELS IF WE CO ULD GET THE PERSIMMONS. ONCE AN OLD SLAVE WOMAN LOST HER MIND. STINGY TOM SENT HnR tO GET A2B ULL TONGUE, AND SHE CHASED AFTER ONE OF THE BULLS DOWN AT THE LOT TRYI NG TO CATCH IT. SHE SET HIS BARN FIRE AND BURNED THIRTEEN HEAD OF HORSES AND MU LES TOGETHER. STINGY TOM HAD THE SHERIFF TRY TO GET HER TELL WHAT WHITE FOLKS P UT HER UP TO DO IT. HE KNOWED THEY ALL HATED HIM 'CAUSE HE JUST SO MEAN. THE O LD WOMAN NEVER DID TELL, BUT THEY HUNG HER ANYHOW. THERE WAS A BIG CROWD TO SEE IT. MISS LUCY JUST CRIED AND CRIED. SHE SAY SATjN pOT-NO USE oOR STrnGY tOMH E SO MEAN. THAT THE FIRST PERSON I EVER SEED HUNG. THEY USED TO HANG FOLKS A H EAP. THE BIGGEST CROWD OUT TO SEE IT. THE OLD WOMAN'S SON HE WENT TO THE WOODS, HE SO HURT 'CAUSE THEY GOrNG TO HANG HIS MA. THE MISSOURI SOLDIERS WERE WORSE THAN THE YjNKEES. cHEY f ScEAND STE AL YOUR CORN AND TAKE YOUR HORSES. THEY BROUGHT A LITTLE GIRL THEY STOLE AND L ET STINGY TOM HAVE HER. HE KEPT HER AND TREATED HER SO MEAN. THEY THRASH OUT W HEAT AND PUT IT ON BIG HEAVY SHEETS TO DRY. THE LITTLE GIRL HAD TO SIT OUT IN T HE SUN AND KEEP THE CHICKENS OFFEN IT. I SEED HIM FIND HER 'SLEEP AND HIT HARD AS HE COULD IN THE FACE WITH BIG OLD BRUSH. IT WAS OLD DOGWOOD BRUSH WITH NO LE AVES ON IT. HE WOULDN'T LET THAT LITTLE GIRL HAVE NO BISCUIT ON SUNDAY MORNING. EVERYBODY HAD ALL THE HOT BISCUIT THEY COULD EAT ON SuNDAYMORNING. WELL, AFT ER FREEDOM, LONG TIME, HER AUNT HEARD SHE WAS DOWN THERE AND COME AND GOT HER. SHE GROW UP TO BE A NICE WOMAN. THEM SAME MISSOURI SOLDIERS TOOK HENRY GUIDON ( OFF. StOLE HrM oROM THEMASTER -- STOLE HIS MUL E. THEY WAS SO MEAN. THEY FOUND OUT WHEN THEY SHOOT, THE MULE SO SCARED IT WOU LD THROW HENRY. THEY KEPT IT UP AND LAUGHED. COURSE IT HURT HENRY. LIABLE TO KILL HIM. THEY SAY THEY MAKING A YANKEE SOLDIER OUTEN HIM THAT WAY. ONE NIGHT BEFORE THEY GOT TOO FAR GONE, HE RODE OFF HOME. THEY BURN WHOLE CRIBS CORN. CO ULD SMELL IT A LONG WAYS OFF. THEY WAS MEAN TO EVERYBODY. I RECKON I DO KNOW 'BOUT THE KU KLUCK. I KNOWED A-MjN-NjMED jLorEDOWE NS. HE SEEMED ALL RIGHT, BUT HE WAS A REPUBLICAN. HE SAID HE WAS NOT AFRAID. HE RUN A TANYARD AND KEPT A HEAP OF GUNS IN A BIG ROOM. THEY ALL LOADED. HE MA RRIED A SOUTHERN WOMAN. HER HUSBAND EITHER DIED OR WAS KILLED. SHE HAD A SON L IVING WITH THEM. THE KU KLUCK WAS CALLED UPPER LEAGUE. THEY GET THIS BOY TO UN LOAD ALL THE GUNS. THEN THE WHITE MEN WENT THERE. THE WHITE MAN GIVE UP AND SA ID, " I AIN'T GOT NO GUN TO DEFEND MYSELF WITH. THE GUNS ALL UNLOADED, AND I AIN 'T GOT NO POWDER AND SHOT." BUT THE KU KLUCK SOT IN THE HOUSES AND SHOT HIM UP LIKE LACEWORK. HE SOLD FINE HARNESS, SADLES, BRIDLES -- ALL SORTS OF LEATHER TH INGS. THE KU KLUCK SURE RUN THEM OUT, BACK WHERE THEY CAME FROM. &CHjRlES&pOoD&HAD&ABklA KsmIcH. cHEMISSOURI SOLDIERS OPENED A FENCE G AP WHEN THEY CAME THROUGH. THEY TOOK HIM, TIED HIM TO A TREE, AND SHOT HIM IN T HE FACE WITH LITTLE SHOT. HE SUFFERED THERE TILL WEDNESDAY, WHEN HE WAS STILL L IVING. THEY TIED HIM TO THE TREE WITH HIS OWN GALLUSES. THEY WAS DOUBLED AND S TRONG. THEN SOME OF THEM WENT DOWN THERE AND FINISHED UP THE JOB BEATING HIM OV ER THE HEAD WITH THE GUNS TILL HE WAS DEAD. THE KU KLUCK BROKE UP EVERY GUN THE Y COULD FIND. THEY SURE BETTER NOT CATCH A GUN AT THE QUARTERS OF COLORED FOLKS . THEY WHUP HIM AND BREAK UP THE GUN. ASK HIM WHERE HE GOT THAT GUN AND START MORE BAD TROUBLE. THEY PACKED A TWO-STORY JAIL SO FULL OF MEN THEY HAD-ORDnRS tO TURN 'E M OUT. THEN THEY BUILT A HIGH FENCE 'BOUT EIGHT FOOT TALL AND PUT 'EM IN IT. T HEY HAD LIGHTS AND GUARDS ALL AROUND IT. THEY KEPT 'EM RIGHT OUT IN THE HOT SUN IN THAT PEN. THAT'S WHERE THE YANKEES PUT THE-KU-KLdlk. cHnN cHEY&HAD trIjLS, jND sOME WAS SENT TO ALBANY FOR TqREE hEjRS&jnD&EIGHT hEjRS&jnD cHELIKE. THEY MADE GLASS AT ALBANY. THEM YANKEES WOULDN'T LET 'EM HAVE NO BONDS. THEN THE W HITE FOLKS TOLD THEM THEY NEEDN'T SETTLE AMONG THEM. THEY OWNED ALL THE LAND AN D WOULDN'T SELL THEM A FOOT FOR NOTHING. A HEAP OF LAWYERS AND DOCTORS GOT IN I T. THAT FENCE WAS IRON AND BOB WIRE. THE KU KLUCK KILLED GOOD MEN, BUT REPUBLI CANS. WE STAYED ON LIKE WE WERE 'CAUSE WE DONE PUT IN THE CROP AND THE KU KL UCK NEVER DID BOTHER US. WE MADE A PRETTY GOOD CROP. THEN WE TOOK OUR FREEDOM. STARTED WORKING FOR MONEY AND PART OF THE CROP. I MARRIED IN 1871. ME AND EMMA WENT tO BED. sOMEkODYLAM ON THE DOOR . EMMA SAY, "YOU RUN, THEY WON'T HURT ME." I SAY "THEY KILL ME SURE." WE STAYE D AND OPENED THE DOOR. THEY PULL THE COVER OFFEN HER LOOKING. THEY LIFTED UP A CLOTH FROM-OVnR A BjRREL BEHIND THE BED rN THE ORnn . &ISAY, "THAT ARE A HOG. " HE SAY, "WE RIGHT FRM HELL, WE AIN'T SEEN NO MEAT." THEN THEY SOON GONE. T HE MOON SHINIG SO BRIGHT THAT NIGHT. THEY WERE LOOKING FOR MY WIFE'S BROTHER, I HEARD 'EM SAY. THEY SAY HE DONE SOMETING OR ANOTHER..... ONE MAN I HEARD 'EM TALK A HEAP ABOUT HAD THE GUNS AND POWDER. THEY S HOT HOLES IN THE WALLS. HE CLIMBED UP IN THE FIREPLACE CHIMNEY AND STOOD UP THE RE CLOSE TO THE BRICK. IT WAS DARK, AND THEY COULDN'T SEE HIM. THEY LOOKED UP THE CHIMNEY BUT DIDN'T SEE HIM. IT WAS A TWO-STORY CHIMNEY. LADY, IF YOU AIN'T NEVER SEEN ONE I CAN'T TELL YOU JUST HOW IT WAS. BUT THEY SHOT THE HOUSE FULL OF HOLES AND NEVER HARMED HIM. oOR THnM WHAT STAYED-ON-LrKE cHEY fnrE,RECONSTRUCTION TIMES 'BOUT LIK E TIMES BEFORE THAT 'CEPTING THE YANKEES STOLE OUT AND TORE UP A SCANDALOUS HEAP . THEY TELL THE BLACK FOLKS TODO SOMETHING, AND THEN COME WHITE FOLKS YOU LIVE WITH jND SAY-KU-KLUCK WHUP YOU. THEY SAY LEAVE, jND THE WHITE oOLKS SAY BETTnR NOT LISTEN TO THEM OLD YANKEES. THEY'LL GIT yOU tOO FjROFF TO COME BACK, AND YOU FREEZE. THEY DONE GIVE YOU ALL THE USE THEY GOT FOR YOU. HOW THEY DO? ALL SORTS OF WAYS. SOME STAYED AT THEIR CABINS GLAD TO HAVE ONE TO LIVE IN AND FAR MED ON. SOME RUNNING ROUND BEGGING, SOME HUNTING WORK FOR MONEY, AND NOBODY HAD NO MONEY 'CEPTING THE YANKEES, AND THEY HAD NO HOMES OR LAND AND MIGHTY LITTLE WORK FOR YOU TO DO. NO WORK TO LIVE ON. SOME GOING EVERY DAY TO THE CITY. THA T WINTER I HEARD 'BOUT THEM STARVING AND FREEZING BY THE WAGON LOADS. I-NEVnR HEjRD-NOTHrNG 'kOUT vOcrnG crLLForEE Om. &IDON'T THINK I EVER VOTED TILL I COME TO MISSISSIPPI. I vOTES-RnPUkLICjN. THAT'S cHEPARTY OF MY COLOR, AND I STICK TO THEM LONG AS THEY DO RIGHT . I DON'T DABBLE IN WHITE FOL KS' BUSINESS, AND THAT WHITE FOLKS' VOTING IS THEIR BUSINESS. IF I VOTE, I GO D O IT AND GO ON HOME. I BEEN PLOWING ALL MY LIFE, AND IN THE HOT DAYS I CUTS AND SAWS WOOD. THEN WHEN I GETS OUTA COTTON-PICKING, I PUT EACH BOY ON A LOAD OF WOOD AND WE S ELL WOOD. THE LAST YEARS WE GOT THREE DOLLARS A CORD. THEN WE CLEAR LAND TILL NEXT SPRING. I DON'T FIND NO TIME TO BE LOAFING. I NEVER MISSED A YEAR FARMING TILL I GOT THE BRIGHT'S DISEASE AND IT HURT ME TO DO HARD wORK. FjRMrNG S THE BEST LIFE THERE IS WHEN YOU ARE ABLE. I COME TO HOLLY SPRINGS IN 1880, STOPPED TO VISIT. I HAD SIX CHILmRnN AND NINETY DOLLARS IN MONEY. WE COME ON THE TRAIN. MY PARENTS DONE lOME oROM SOUTH CAROLINA TO ARKANSAS. MAN SAY THIS AIN'T NO RICHER LAND THAN YOU COME FRO M. I TRIED IT SEVEN YEARS. THEN I DROVE FROM THERE, FERRIED THE RIVERS. IT TO OK A LONG TIME. WE MADE THE BEST CROP I EVER SEED IN 1888. I HAD EIGHT CHILDRE N, MY WIFE. I CUT AND HAULED WOOD ALL WINTER. I SOON HAD THREE TEAMS HAULING W OOD TO CLARENDON. SOME OLD MEN (WHITE MEN), MEAN THINGS, LEARNED ONE OF MY BOYS TO PLAY CRAPS. THEY DONE IT TO GIT HIS-MONEY. WHnN I-OwNEDMOST, I HAD SIX HEAD MULES AND FIVE HEAD HORSES. I RENTE D ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY ACRES OF LAND. I BOUGHT THIS HOUSE AND SOME OTHER LAND ABOUT. THE ANTHRAX KILLED NEARLY ALL MY HORSES AND MULES. I GOT ONE BIG FINE M ULE YET. ITS MATE DIED. I LOST MY HOUSE. MY SON GIVE ME ONE ROOM, AND HE PAYI NG THE DEBT OFF NOW. IT'S HARD FOR COLORED FOLKS TO KEEP ANYTHING. SOMEBODY GE TS IT FROM 'EM IF THEY DON'T MIND. THE PRESENT TIME IS HARD. TIMBER IS SCARCE. GAME IS ABOUT ALL GONE. PRICES HIGHER. OLD FOLKS CANNOT WORK. TIME IS HARD FOR YOUNGER FOLKS TOO. TH EY GO TO TOWN TOO MUCH AND GO TO SHOWS. THEY GOING TO A TENT SHOW NOW. CIRCUS COMING, THEY SAY. THEY SPENDING TOO MUCH MONEY FOR FOOLISHNESS. IT'S A FAST TIM E. FOLKS TOO RESTLESS. SOME OF THE COLORED FOLKS WORK HARD AS FOLKS EVER DID. THEY SPENDS TOO MUCH. SOME FOLKS IS LAZY. ALWAYS BEEN THAT WAY. I SIGNED UP TO THE GOVERNMENT, BUT THEY AIN'T GIVE ME NOTHrNG 'CnPTrNG POWDERED MILK AND RICE WHAT WASN'T FIT TO EAT. IT CRACKED UP AND HAD BLACK SOM ETHING IN IT. A LADY SAID SHE WOULD GIVE ME SOME SHIRTS THAT WAS HER HUSBAND'S. I WENT TO GET THEM, BUT SHE WASN'T HOME. THESE HEAVY SHIRTS GIVE ME HEAT. THE Y WON'T GIVE ME THE PENSION, AND I DON'T KNOW WHY. IT WOULD HELP ME BUY MY SALT S AND PILLS AND THE OTHER MEDICINES LIKE SWAMP ROOT. THEY WON'T GIVE IT TO ME. X XXX