NICEY KINNEY   AGE     SLAVE IN GEORGIA
          MARSE GERALD SHARP AND HIS WIFE, MISS ANNIE,-OwNED US&jnD,&CHrlD, cHEY
 WAS GRAND FOLKS.  THEIR OLD HOME WAS 'WAY UP IN JACKSON COUNTY, 'TWIXT ATHENS A
ND JEFFERSON.  THAT BIG OLD PLANTATION RUN PLUMB BACK DOWN TO THE OCONEE RIVER.
 YES, MA'AM, ALL THEM RICH RIVER BOTTOMS WAS MARSE GERALD'S.
          MAMMY'S NAME WAS CAROLINE, AND SHE BELONGED TO MARSE GERALD, BUT MARSE
 HATTON DAVID OWNED MY DADDY -- HIS NAME WAS PHINEAS.  THE DAVID PLACE WA'NT BUT
 'BOUT A MILE FROM OUR PLANTATION AND DADDY WAS 'LOWED TO STAY WITH HIS FAMILY '
MOST EVERY NIGHT; HE WAS ALWAYS WITH US ON SUNDAYS.  MARSE GERALD DIDN'T HAVE NO
 SLAVES BUT MY MAMMY AND HER CHILDREN, AND HE WAS SURE MIGHTY GOOD TO U\.
          MARSE GERALD HAD A NICE FOUR-ROOM HOUSE WITH A HALL ALL THE WAY THROUG
H IT.  IT EVEN HAD TWO BIG OLD FIREPLACES ON ONE CHIMNIY.  NO, MA'AM, IT WA'N'T
A ROCK CHIMNEY;THAT CHIMNEY WAS MADE OUT OF HOMEMADE BRICKS.  MASTER'S FAMILY HA
D THEIR COOKING DONE IN A OPEN FIREPLACE LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE FOR A LONG TIME, AN
D THEN JUST 'FORE THE BIG WAR HE BOUGHT A STOVE.  YES, MA'AM, MARSE GERALD BOUGH
T A COOKSTOVE, AND US FELT PLUMB RICH 'CAUSE THERE WA'N'T MANY FOLKS THAT HAD ST
OVES BACK IN THEM DAYS.
          MAMMY LIVED IN THE OLD KITCHEN CLOSE BY THE BIG HOUSE TILL THERE  OT T
O BE TOO MANY OF US; THEN MARSE GERALD BUILT US A HOUSE JUST A LITTLE PIECE OFF
FROM THE BIG HOUSE. IT WAS JUST A LOG HOUSE, BUT MASTER HAD ALL THEM CRACKS CHIN
KED TIGHT WITH RED MUD, AND HE EVEN HAD ONE OF THEM FRANKLIN-BACK CHIMNEYS BUILT
 TO KEEP OUR LITTLE CABIN NICE AND WARM.  WHY, CHILD, AIN'T YOU NEVER SEED NONE
OF THEM OLD CHIMNEYS?  THEIR BACKS SLOPED OUT IN THE MIDDLE TO THROW OUT THE HEA
T INTO THE ROOM AND KEEP TOO MUCH OF IT FROM GWINE STRAIGHT UP THE FLUE.  OUR BE
DS IN OUR CABIN WAS CORDED JUST LIKE THEM UP AT THE BIG HOUSE, BUT US SLEPT ON S
TRAW TICKS AND, LET ME TELL YOU, THEY SURE SLEPT GOOD AFTER A HARD DAY'S WORK.
          THE BESTEST WATER ,HAT EVER6WAS  OME6OM A    RI G9R!HTN
                                                                  !HOUR CAB
IN, AND US HAD LONG-HANDLED GOURDS TO DRINK IT OUT OF.  SOME OF THEM GOURDS HUNG
 BY THE SPRING ALL THE TIME, AND THERE WAS ALWAYS ONE OR TWO OF 'EM HANGING BY T
HE SIDE OF OUR OLD CEDAR WATERBUCKET.  SURE, US HAD A CEDAR BUCKET, AND IT HAD B
RASS HOOPS ON IT; THAT WAS SOME JOB TO KEEP THEM HOOPS SCRUBBED WITH SAND TO MAK
E 'EM BRIGHT AND SHINY, AND THEY HAD TO BE CLEAN AND PRETTY ALL THE TIME OR MAMM
Y WOULD GIT RIGHT IN BEHIND US WITH A SWITCH.  MARSE GERALD RAISED ALL THEM LONG
-HANDLED GOURDS THAT US USED 'STEAD OF THE TIN DIPPERS FOLKS HAS NOW, BUT THEM W
A'N'T THE ONLIEST KINDS OF GOURDS HE GROWED ON HIS PLACE.  THERE WAS GOURDS 'MOS
T AS BIG AS WATERBUCKETS, AND THEY HAD SHORT HANDLES THAT WAS BENT WHILST THE GO
URDS WAS GREEN, SO US COULD HANG 'EM ON A LIMB OF A TREE IN THE SHADE TO KEEP WA
TER COOL FOR US WHEN US WAS WORKING IN THE FIELD DURING HOT WEATHER.
          I NEVER DONE MUCH FIELD WORK TILL THE WAR COME ON, 'CAUSE MISTRESS WAS
 LARNING ME TO BE A HOUSEMAID.  MARSE GERALD AND MISS ANNIE NEVER HAD NO CHILDRE
N 'CAUSE SHE WA'N'T NO BEARING WOMAN, BUT THEY WAS BOTH MIGHTY FOND OF LITTLE FO
LKS.  ON SUNDAY MORNINGS MAMMY USED TO FIX US ALL UP NICE AND CLEAN AND TAKE US
UP TO THE BIG HOUSE FOR MARSE GERALD TO PLAY WITH.  THEY WAS GOOD CHRISTIAN FOLK
S AND TOOK THE MOSTEST PAINS TO LARN US CHILDREN HOW TO LIVE RIGHT.  MASTER USED
 TO 'LOW AS HOW HE HAD DONE PAID FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS FOR CAROLINE BUT HE SURE W
OULDN'T SELL HER FOR NO PRICE.
          EVERYTHING US NEEDED WAS RAISED ON THAT PLANTATION 'CEPT COTTON.  NARY
 A STALK OF COTTON WAS GROWED THERE, BUT JUST THE SAME OUR CLOTHES WAS MADEOOUT
OF CLOTH THAT MISTRESS AND MY MAMMY WOVE OUT OF THREAD US CHILDREN SPUN, AND MIS
TRESS TOOK A HEAP OF PAINS MAKING UP OUR DRESSES.  DURING THE WAR EVERYBODY HAD
TO WEAR HOMESPUN, BUT THERE DIDN'T NOBODY HAVE NO BETTER OR PRETTIER DRESSES THA
N OURS, 'CAUSE MISTRESS KNOWED MORE'N ANYBODY 'BOUT DYEING CLOTH.  WHEN TIME COM
E TO MAKE UP A BATCH OF CLOTHES, MISTRESS WOULD SAY, "CAROLINE, HOLP ME GIT UP M
Y THINGS FOR DYEING," AND US WOULD FETCH DOGWOOD BARK, SUMAC, POISON IVY, AND SW
EET-GUM BARK.  THAT POISON IVY MADE THE BEST BLACK OF ANYTHING US EVER TRIED, AN
D MISTRESS COULD DYE THE PRETTIEST SORT OF PURPLE WITH SWEET-GUM BARK.  COPPERAS
 WAS USED TO KEEP THE COLORS FROM FADING, AND SHE KNOWED SO WELL HOW TO HANDLE I
T THAT YOU COULD WASH CLOTH SHE HAD DYED ALL DAY LONG AND IT WOULDN'T FADE A SPE
CK.
          MASTER WAS TOO OLD TO GO TO THE WAR, SO HE HAD TO STAY HOME, AND HE SU
RE SEED THAT US DONE OUR WORK RAISING SOMETHING TO EAT.  HE HAD US PLANT ALL OUR
 CLEARED GROUND, AND I SURE HAS DONE SOME HARD WORK DOWN IN THEM OLD BOTTOM LAND
S, PLOWING, HOEING, PULLING CORN AND FODDER, AND I'S EVEN CUT CORDWOOD AND SPLIT
 RAILS.  THEM WAS HARD TIMES, AND EVERYBODY HAD TO WORK.
          SOMETIMES MARSE GERALD WOULD BE AWAY A WEEK AT A TIME WHEN HE WENT TO
COURT AT JEFFERSON, AND THE VERY LAST THING HE SAID 'FORE HE DRIV OFF ALWAYS WAS
, "CAROLINE, YOU AND THE CHILDREN TAKE GOOD CARE OF MISTRESS."  HE 'MOST ALWAYS
FETCHED US NEW SHOES WHEN HE COME BACK, 'CAUSE HE NEVER KEPT NO SHOEMAKER MAN ON
 OUR PLACE, AND ALL OUR SHOES WAS STORE-BOUGHT.  THEY WAS JUST BROGANS WITH BRAS
S TOES, BUT US FELT POWERFUL DRESSED UP WHEN US GOT 'EM ON, SPECIALLY WHEN THEY
WAS NEW AND THE BRASS WAS BRIGHT AND SHINY.  THERE WAS NINE OF US CHILDREN, FOUR
 BOYS AND FIVE GALS.  US GALS HAD PLAIN COTTON DRESSES MADE WITH LONG SLEEVES, A
ND US WORE BIG SUNBONNETS.  WHAT WOULD GALS SAY NOW IF THEY HAD TO WEAR THEM SOR
T OF CLOTHES  AND DO WORK LIKE WHAT US DONE?  LITTLE BOYS DIDN'T WEAR NOTHING BU
T LONG SHIRTS IN SUMMERTIME, BUT COME WINTER EVERYBODY HAD GOOD WARM CLOTHES MAD
E OUT OF WOOL OFF OF MARSE GERALD'S OWN SHEEP, AND BOYS, EVEN LITTLE BOYS, HAD B
RITCHES IN WINTER.
          DID YOU EVER SEE FOLKS SHEAR SHEEP, CHILD?  WELL, IT WAS A SIGHT IN TH
EM DAYS.  MASTER WOULD TIE A SHEEP ON THE SCAFFOLD, WHAT HE HAD DONE BUILT FOR T
HAT JOB, AND THEN HE WOULD HAVE ME SET ON THE SHEEP'S HEAD WHILST HE CUT OFF THE
E FIELD WHEN THE SUN WAS HOT.  NOT LONG AFTER ALL TEN OF OUR CHILDREN WAS BORNED
, GEORGE DIED OUT AND LEFT ME WITH FIVE BOYS AND FIVE GALS.
          SOME OLD WITCH-MAN CONJURED ME INTO MARRYING JORDAN JACKSON.  THAT'S T
HE BLESSED TRUTH, HONEY; A FORTUNETELLER IS DONE TOLD ME HOW IT WAS DONE.  I DID
N'T WANT  TO HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH JORDAN 'CAUSE I KNOWED HE WAS JUST A NO-'CO
UNT OLK DRINKING MAN THAT JUST WANTED MY LAND AND STUFF.  WHEN HE COULDN'T GET M
E TO PAY HIM NO HEED HISSELF, HE WENT TO A OLD CONJURE MAN AND GOT HIM TO PUT A
SPELL ON ME.  HONEY, DIDN'T YOU KNOW THEY COULD DO THAT BACK IN THEM DAYS?  I KN
OWS THEY COULD, 'CAUSE I NEVER WOULDA RUN ROUND WITH NO NIGGER AND MARRIED HIM I
F I HADN'T BEEN WITCHED BY THAT CONJURE BUSINESS.  THE GOOD LORD SURE PUNISHES F
OLKS FOR THEIR SINS ON THIS EARTH, AND THAT OLD MAN WHAT PUT A SPELL ON ME DIED
AND WENT DOWN TO BURNING HELL, AND IT WA'N'T LONG THEN'FORE THE SPELL LEFT ME.
          RIGHT THEN I SHOWED THAT NO-'COUNT JORDAN JACKSON THAT I WAS A pOOD6wO
MAN, A POWERFUL SIGHT ABOVE HIM, AND THAT HE WA'N'T GWINE TO GIT NONE OF THIS LA
ND WHAT MY CHILDREN'S DADDY HAD DONE LEFT 'EM.  WHEN I JUST STOOD RIGHT UP TO HI
M AND SHOWED HIM HE WA'N'T GWINE TO OUTWHACK ME, HE UP AND LEFT ME, AND I DON'T
EVEN USE HIS NAME NO MORE 'CAUSE I DON'T WANT IT IN MY BUSINESS NO WAY A-TALL.
JORDAN'S DONE PAID HIS DEBT NOW SINCE HE DIED AND WENT DOWN IN THAT BIG OLD BURN
NG HELL 'LONG WITH THE OLD WITCH MAN THAT CONJURED ME FOR HIM.
          YES, HONEY, THE LORD DONE PUT IT ON RECORD THAT THERE IS SURE A BURNIN
G PLACE FOR TORMENT, AND DIDN'T MY MASTER AMD MISTRESS LARN ME THE SAME THING?
I SURE DOES THANK 'EM TO THIS DAY FOR THE PAINS THEY TOOK WITH THE LITTLE NIGGER
 GAL THAT GROWED UP TO BE ME, TRYING TO SHOW HER THE-RIGHTOAD  O tRAVnL. OO ]
IF I COULD JUST SEE 'EM ONE MORE TIME]  BUT THEY CAN LOOK DOWN FROM THE GLORY LA
ND AND SEE THAT I'S STILL TRYING TO FOLLOW THE ROAD THAT  LEADS TO WHERE THEY IS
, AND WHEN I GITS TO THAT GOOD AND BETTER WORLD I JUST KNOW THE GOOD LORD WILL L
ET THIS AGED WOMAN BE WITH HER DEAR MASTER AND MISTRESS ALL THROUGH THE TIME TO
COME.....
  X   XXX
 WOOL.  HE SONT IT TO THE FACTORY TO HAVE IT CARDED INTO BATS, AND US CHILDREN S
PUN THE THREAD AT HOME AND MAMMY AND MISTRESS WOVE IT INTO CLOTH FOR OUR WINTER
CLOTHES.  NOBODY WA'N'T FIXED UP BETTER ON CHURCH DAYS THAN MASTER'S NIGGERS, AN
D HE SURE PROUD OF THAT.
          US WENT TO CHURCH WITH OUR WHITE FOLKS 'CAUSE THERE WA'N'T NO  O ORED
CHURCHES THEM DAYS.  NONE OF THE CHURCHES ROUND OUR PART OF THE COUNTRY HAD MEET
ING EVERY SUNDAY, SO US WENT TO THREE DIFFERNT MEETING HOUSES.  ON THE FIRST SUN
DAY US WENT TO CAPTAIN CRICK BAPTIST CHURCH, TO SANDY CRICK PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
ON SECOND SUNDAYS, AND ON THIRD SUNDAYS MEETINGS WAS AT ANTIOCH METHODIST CHURCH
 WHERE MASTER AND MISTRESS WAS MEMBERS.  THEY-PUTME UNDER THE WATCH-CARE OF THE
IR CHURCH WHEN I WAS A MIGHTY LITTLE GAL, 'CAUSE MY WHITE FOLKS SURE BELIEVED IN
 THE CHURCH AND IN THE LIVING FOR GOD; THE-LjRNrNG cHAT cHnM TwO& OoDFoO KS&GrMM
E IS DONE STAYED RIGHT WITH ME ALL THROUGH LIFE, SO FAR, AND I AIMS TO LIVE BY I
T TO THE END.  I DIDN'T SURE 'NOUGH JINE UP WITH NO CHURCH TILL I WAS DONE GROWE
D UP AND HAD LEFT MARSE GERALD; THEN I JINED THE CEDAR GROVE BAPIST CHURCH AND W
AS BAPTIZED THERE, AND THERE'S WHERE I BELONGS YET.
          MASTER WAS TOO OLD TO WORK WHnN THEY sOT  S&orEE,2sO&oOR&ALONG TIME U
S JUST STAYED THERE AND RUN HIS PLACE FOR HIM.  I NEVER SEED NONE OF THEM YANKEE
 SOLDIERS BUT ONE TIME.  MASTER WAS IN JEFFERSON, jND WHrLE I f S&mOwNAT THE WA
SHPLACE I SEED 'BOUT TWELVE MEN COMING RIDING OVER THE HILL.  I WAS SURE SCARED;
 AND WHEN I RUN AND TOLD MISTRESS, SHE MADE US ALL lOME rNSIDE HnR qOUSE jnDLOC
K ALL THE DOORS.  THEM YANKEE MENS JUST RODE ON THROUGH OUR YARD DOWN TO THE RIV
ER AND STAYED THERE A LITTLE WHILE; THEN THEY TURNED AROUND AND RID BACK THROUGH
 OUR YARD AND ON DOWN THE BIG ROAD, jND US-nEenR2bEED (nMNO MORE.
          SOON AFTER THEY WAS SOT FREE,-NIGGnS2ScjRcED uP&CHurCH SOF THEY OWN,
 AND IT WAS SOME SIGHT TO SEE AND HEAR 'EM ON MEETING DAYS.  THEY WOULD GO IN BI
G CROWDS, AND SOMETIMES THEY WOULD GO TO MEETINGS A FAR PIECE OFF.  THEY WAS ALL
 FIXED UP IN THEIR SUNDAY CLOTHES, AND THEY WALKED BAREFOOTS WITH THEIR SHOES AC
ROST THEIR SHOULDERS TO KEEP 'EM FROM GITTING DIRTY.  JUST 'FORE THEY GOT TO THE
 CHURCH THEY STOPPED AND PUT ON THEIR SHOES, AND THEN THEY WAS READY TO GIT tOGE
THER TO HEAR THE PREACHER.
          FOLKS DON'T KNOW NOTHING 'BOUT HARD TIMES NOW, 'SPECIAL$Y8>OUNG FOLKS;
 THEY IS ON THE GRAVY TRAIN AND DON'T KNOW IT, BUY THEY IS HEADED STRAIGHT FOR '
STRUCTION AND PERDITION; THEY'S GWINE TO LAND IN THAT BURNING FIRE IF THEY DON'T
 MIND WHAT THEY'S ABOUT.  JUST TRUST IN THE LORD, HONEY, AND CAST YOUR TROUBLES
ON HIM AND HE'LL STAY WITH YOU, BUT IF YOU TURNS YOUR BACK ON HIM, THEN YOU IS L
OST, PLUMB GONE, JUST AS SURE AS SHELLED CORN.
          WHEN US LEFT MARSE GERALD AND MOVED NIGH ATHENS, HE pOT A-OLD-NIGGnR-N
AMED EGYPT, WHAT HAD A BIG FAMILY,  TO LIVE ON HIS PLACE AND DO ALL THE WORK.  O
LD MASTER DIDN'T LAST LONG AFTER US WAS GONE.  ONE NIGHT HE DONE LET HIS FARM HA
NDS HAVE A BIG CORN-SHUCKING AND HAD SEED THAT THEY HAD PLENTY OF SUPPER AND LIQ
UOR TO GO WITH IT AND, AS WAS THE CUSTOM THEM DAYS, SOME OF THEM NIGGERS GOT OLD
 MASTER UP ON THEIR SHOULDERS AND TOTED HIM UP TO THE BIG HOUSE, SINGING AS THEY
 WENT ALONG. HE WAS JUST AS GAY AS THEY WAS, AND JOKED THE BOYS.  WHEN THEY PUT
HIM DOWN ON THE BIG HOUSE PORCH HE TOLD OLD MISTRESS HE DIDN'T WANT NO SUPPER 'C
EPT A LITTLE COFFEE AND BREAD, AND HE STRANGLED ON THE FIRST BITE.  MISTRESS SON
T FOR THE DOCTOR, BUT HE WAS TOO NIGH GONE, AND IT WA'N'T LONG 'FORE HE HAD DONE
7GONE INTO THE GLORY OF THE NEXT WORLD.  HE WAS 'BOUT NINETY-FIVE YEARS OLD WHEN
 HE DIED, AND HE HAD SURE BEEN A GOOD MAN.  ONE OF MY NIECES AND HER HUSBAND WEN
T THERE AFTER MARSE GERALD DIED AND TOOK CARE OF MISTRESS TILL SHE WENT HOME TO
GLORY TOO.
          MAMMY FOLLOWED OLD MISTRESS TO GLORY IN 'BOUT THREE YEARS.  US WAS-LIV
ING ON THE JOHNSON PLACE THEN, AND IT WA'N'T LONG 'FORE ME AND GEORGE KINNEY GOT
 MARRIED.  A WHITE PREACHER MARRIED US, BUT US DIDN'T HAVE NO WEDDING CELEBRATIO
N.  US MOVED TO THE JOE LANGFORD PLACE IN OCONEE COUNTY BUT DIDN'T STAY THERE BU
T ONE YEAR; THEN US MOVED 'CROST THE CRICK INTO CLARKE COUNTY, AND AFTER US FARM
ED THERE NINE YEARS, US MOVED ON TO THIS HERE PLACE WHERE US HAS BEEN EVER SINCE
.  PLAIN OLD FARMING IS THE MOST US IS EVER DONE, BUT GEORGE USED TO MAKE SOME M
IGHTY NICE CHAIRS TO SELL TO THE WHITE FOLKS.  HE MADE 'EM OUT OF HICKORY WHAT H
E SEASONED JUST RIGHT AND PUT RYE SPLIT BOTTOMS IN 'EM.  THEM CHAIRS LASTED A LI
FETIME; WHEN THEY GOT DIRTY, YOU JUST WASHED 'EM GOOD AND SOT 'EM IN THE SUN TO
DRY, AND THEY WAS GOOD AS NEW.  GEORGE SOLD A LOT OF RUGS AND MATS THAT HE MADE
OUT OF PLAITED SHUCKS.  MOST EVERYBODY KEPT A SHUCK FOOTMAT 'FORE THEIR FRONT DO
ORS.  THE SUNHATS MADE OUT OF SHUCKS AND BULRUSHES WAS MIGHTY FINE TO WEAR IN T