TINES KENDRICKS AGE 104 SLAVE IN GEORGIA -MY-NjME S TrN SKKnNmRIlKS. I WAS2kORNED rN&lR WoORD OuNTY,7G ORGIA. YOU SEE, BOSS, I IS A LITTLE NIGGER, AND I REALLY IS MORE SMALLER NOW THAN I USED TO BE WHEN I WAS YOUNG 'CAUSE I SO OLD AND STOOPED OVER. I MIGHTY NIGH WOR E OUT FROM ALL THESE HARD YEARS OF WORK AND SERVING THE LORD. MY ACTUAL NAME WH AT WAS GIVE TO ME BY MY WHITE FOLKS, THE KENDRICKS, WAS "TINY." THEY CALLED ME THAT 'CAUSE I NEVER WAS NO SIZE MUCH. AFTER US ALL SOT FREE I JUST CHANGED MY N AME TO "TINES," AND THAT'S WHAT I BEEN GOING BY FOR NIGH ON TO NINETY YEARS. 'CORDING TO WHAT I 'MEMBER 'BOUT IT, BOSS, I IS NOW PAST A HUNDRED AND FOUR YEARS OLD THIS PAST JULY THE FOURTH, TWO HOURS BEFORE DAY. WHAT I MEANS I S WHAT I 'MEMBER 'BOUT WHAT THE OLD MARSE TOLD ME THAT TIME I COMED BACK TO THE HOME PLACE AFTER THE WAR QUI, , AND HE SAY THAT I PAST THIRTY THEN. MY MAMMY, S HE SAID I BORN TWO HOURS BEFORE DAY ON THE FOURTH OF JULY. THAT WHAT THEY TOLD ME, BOSS. I IS BEEN IN GOOD HEALTH ALL MY DAYS. I AIN'T NEVER BEEN SICK ANY IN MY-LIFE 'SCUSrNG THESE LAST YEARS WHnN I GIT sO-OLD jND FEEkLE jND2STIFF&rN cHE JOINTS,AND MY TEETH 'GIN TO CAVE IN, AND MY OLD BONES, THEY 'GIN TO ACHE. BUT I JUST KEEP ON LIVING AND TRUSTING IN THE LORD 'CAUSE THE GOOD BOOK SAY, "WHEREF ORE THE EVIL DAYS COME AND THE DARKNESS OF NIGHT DRAW NIGH, YOUR STRENGTH, IT SH ALL NOT PERISH. I WILL LIFT YOU UP 'MONGST THEM WHAT BIDES WITH ME." THAT IS T HE GOSPEL, BOSS. MY OLD MARSE, HE WAS NAMED ARCH KENDRICKS, AND US LIVEDOON ,HE7PLANTAT ION WHAT THE KENDRICKS HAD NOT FAR FROM MACON IN CRAWFORD COUNTY, GEORGIA. YOU CAN SEE, BOSS, THAT I IS A LITTLE BRIGHT AND GOT SOME WHITE BLOOD IN ME. THAT I S 'COUNTED FOR ON MY MAMMY'S SIDE OF THE FAMILY. HER PAPPY, HE WAS A WHITE MAN. HE WASN'T NO KENDRICK THOUGH. HE WAS A OVERSEER. THAT WHAT MY MAMMY SHE SAY, AND THEN I KNOW THAT WASN'T NO KENDRICK MIXED UP IN NOTHING LIKE THAT. THEY DI DN'T BELIEVE IN THAT KIND OF BUSINESS. MY OLD MARSE, ARCH KENDRICKS, I WILL SAY THIS,HE CERTAINLY WAS A GOOD FAIR MAN. OLD MISS AND THE YOUNGER MARSE, SAM, TH EY WAS STRICTLY TOUGH AND, BOSS, I IS TELLING YOU THE TRUTH, THEY WAS CRUEL. TH E YOUNG MARSE, SAM, HE NEVER TAKEN AT ALL AFTER HE PA. HE GOT ALL HE MEANNESS FR OM OLD MISS, AND HE SURE GOT PLENTY OF IT, TOO. OLD MISS, SHE CUSS AND RARE WOR S'N A MAN. 'WAY 'FORE DAY SHE BE UP HOLLERING LOUD ENOUGH FOR TO BE HEARED TWO MILES, 'ROUSING THE NIGGERS OUT FOR TO GIT IN THE FIELDS EVER 'FORE LIGHT. MARS E SAM, HE STAND BY THE POTS HANDING OUT THE GRUB AND GIVING OUT THE BREAD, AND H E CUSS LOUD AND SAY: "TAKE A SOP OF THAT GREASE ON YOUR HOECAKE AND MOVE ALONG F AST 'FORE I LASHES YOU." MARSE SAM, HE WAS A BIG MAN TOO, THAT HE WAS. HE WAS NIGH ON TO SIX AND A HALF FEET TALL. BOSS, HE CERTAINLY WAS A CHILD OF THE DEVI L. ALL THE COOKING IN THEM DAYS WAS DONE IN POTS HANGING ON THE POT RACKS. THE Y NEVER HAD NO STOVES ENDURING THE TIMES WHAT I IS TELLING YOU 'BOUT. AT TIMES THEY WOULD GIVE US ENOUGH TO EAT. AT TIMES THEY WOULDN'T -- JUST 'CORDING TO HO W THEY FEELING WHEN THEY DISHING OUT THE GRUB. THE BIGGEST WHAT THEY WOULD GIVE THE FIELD HANDS TO EAT WOULD BE THE TRUCK WHAT US HAD ON THE PLACE, LIKE GREENS , TURNIPS, PEAS, SIDE MEAT, AND THEY SURE WOULD CUT THE SIDE MEAT AWFUL THIN TOO , BOSS. US ALWAYS HAD A HEAP OF CORN MEAL DUMPLINGS AND HOECAKES. OLD MISS, HE R AND MARSE SAM, THEY REAL STINGY. YOU BETTER NOT LEAVE NO GRUB ON YOUR PLATE F OR TO THROW AWAY. YOU SURE BETTER EAT IT ALL IFFEN YOU LIKE IT OR NO. OLD MISS AND MARSE SAM, ,H(Y REAL BOSSES, AND THEY6WAS6WICKE<. 'S TnLLI G8>OU ,HE tRUT H , THEY WAS. OLD MARSE, HE DIDN'T HAVE MUCH TO SAY 'BOUT THE RUNNING OF THE PL ACE OR THE HANDLING OF THE NIGGERS. YOU KNOW, ALL THE PROPERTY AND ALL THE NIGG ERS BELONGED TO OLD MISS. SHE GOT ALL THAT FROM HER PEOPLES. THAT WHAT THEY L EFT HER ON THEIR DEATH. SHE THE REAL OWNER OF EVERYTHING. JUST TO SHOW YOU, BOSS, HOW 'TWAS WITH MARSE SAM AND HOW CONTRARY AND FRACTIOUS AND WICKED THAT YOUNG WHITE MAN WAS, I WANTS TO TELL YOU 'BOUT THE TIM E THAT AUNT HANNAH'S LITTLE BOY MOSE DIED. MOSE, HE SICK 'BOUT A WEEK. AUNT HAN NAH, SHE TRY TO DOCTOR ON HIM AND GIT HIM WELL, AND SHE TELL OLD MISS THAT SHE T HINK MOSE BAD OFF AND OUGHT TO HAVE THE DOCTOR. SHE SAY MOSE AIN'T SICK MUCH, A ND, BLESS MY SOUL, AUNT HANNAH SHE RIGHT. IN A FEW DAYS FROM THEN MOSE IS DEAD. MARSE SAM, HE COME CUSSING AND TOLD GABE TO GET SOME PLANKS jND-MjKE THE lOFFrN AND SONT SOME OF THEM TO DIG THE GRAVE OVER THERE ON THE FAR SIDE OF THE PLACE WHERE THEY HAD A BURYING GROUND FOR THE NIGGERS. US TOTED THE COFFIN OVER TO WH ERE THE GRAVE WAS DUG AND GWINE BURY LITTLE MOSE THERE, AND UNCLE BILLY JORDAN, HE WAS THERE AND BEGUN TO SING AND PRAY AND HAVE A KIND OF FUNERAL AT THE BURYIN G. EVERYONE WAS MOANING AND SINGING AND PRAYING, AND THE MARSE SAM HEARD 'EM AN D COME SAILING OVER THERE ON HE HOSS AND LIT RIGHT IN TO CUSSING AND RARING AND SAY THAT IF THEY DON'T HURRY AND BURY THAT NIGGER AND SHUT UP THAT SINGING AND C ARRYING ON, HE GWINE LASH EVERY ONE OF THEM, AND THEN HE WENT TO CUSSING WORSER AN'BUSING UNCLE BILLY JORDAN. HE SAY IFFEN HE EVER HEARD OF HIM DOING ANY MORE PREACHING OR PRAYING ROUND 'MONGST THE NIGGERS AT THE GRAVEYARD OR ANYWHERES ELS E, HE GWINE LASH HIM TO DEATH. NO, SIR, BOSS, MARSE SAM WOULDN'T EVEN 'LOW NO P REACHING OR SINGING OR NOTHING LIKE THAT. HE WAS WICKED. I TELL YOU HE WAS. -OLD-MISS, SHE GENERALLY LOOKED AFTnR cHENIGGERS WHEN THEY SICK AND GI VE THEM THE MEDICINE. AND, TOO, SHE WOULD GET THE DOCTOR IFFEN SHE THINK THEY R EAL BAD OFF 'CAUSE LIKE I SAID, OLD MISS, SHE MIGHTY STINGY, AND SHE NEVER WANT TO LOSE NO NIGGER BY THEM DYING. HOWSOMEVER, IT WAS HARD SOMETIME TO GET HER TO BnLIEVE yOU SIlK WHnN yOU TnLL HnR cHAT yOU f S,&jnD2bHE6wOulD cHr K OUJUST P LAYING OFF FROM WORK. I HAVE SEEN NIGGERS WHAT WOULD BE MIGHTY NEAR DEAD BEFORE OLD MISS WOULD BELIEVE THEM SICK AT ALL. BEFORE THE WAR BROKE OUT, I CAN 'MEMBER WAS THE REVEREND DICKEY WHAT W AS THE PARSON FOR A BIG CROWD OF THE WHITE PEOPLES IN THAT PART OF THE COUNTY. REVEREND DICKEY, HE PREACHED FREEDOM FOR THE NIGGERS AND SAY THAT THEY ALL SHOUL D BE SOT FREE AND GIVED A HOME AND A MULE. THAT PREACHING THE REVEREND DICKEY D ONE SURE RILE UP THE FOLKS -- THAT IS, THE MOST OF THEM, LIKE THE KENDRICKS AND MISTER ELDREDGE AND DOCTOR MURCHESON AND NAT WALKER AND SUCH AS THEM WHAT WAS T HE BIGGEST OF THE SLAVEOWNERS. RIGHT AWAY AFTER REVEREND DICKEY DONE SUCH PREAC HING, THEY FIRED HIM FROM THE CHURCH AND 'BUSED HIM, AND SOME OF THEM SAY THEY G WINE HANG HIM TO A LIMB OR EITHER GWINE RIDE HIM ON A RAIL OUT OF THE COUNTRY. SURE ENOUGH, THEY MADE IT SO HOT ON THAT MAN HE HAVE TO LEAVE CLEAN OUT OF THE S TATE, SO I HEARED. NO, SIR, BOSS, THEY SAY THEY AIN'T GWINE DIVIDE UP NO LAND W ITH THE NIGGERS OR GIVE THEM NO HOME OR MULE OR THEIR FREEDOM OR NOTHING. THEY SAY THEY WILL WADE KNEE DEEP IN BLOOD AND DIE FIRST. 6>HEN ,HE6WAR START TO BREAK OU,, MRSE2SjM'LISTED IN THE TROOPS AND W AS SENT TO VIRGINNY. THERE HE STAY FOR THE LONGEST. I HEAR OLD MISS TELLING 'B OUT THE LETTERS SHE GOT FROM HIM, AND HOW HE WISHING THEY HURRY AND START THE BA TTLE SO'S HE CAN GET THROUGH KILLING THE YANKEES AND GET THE WAR OVER AND COME H OME. BLESS MY SOUL, IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE THEY HAD THE BATTLE WHAT MARSE SAM WA S SHOT IN. HE WRIT THE LETTER FROM THE HOSPITAL WHERE THEY HAD TOOK HIM. HE SA Y THEY HAD A HARD FIGHT, THAT A BALL BUSTED HIS GUN, AND ANOTHER BALL SHOOT HIS COOTERMENTS OFF HIM; THE THIRD SHOT TEAR A BIG HOLE RIGHT THROU GH THE SIDE OF HIS NECK. THE DOCTOR SEW THE WOUND UP; HE NOT HURT SO BAD. HE SOON BE BACK WITH HIS COMPANY. BUT IT WASN'T LONG 'FORE THEY WRIT SOME MORE LETTERS TO OLD MISS AND S AY THAT MARSE SAM'S WOUND NOT GETTING NO BETTER; IT WASN'T HEALING TO DO NO GOOD ; EVERY TIME THEY SEW THE GASH UP IN HIS NECK, IT BROKE LOOSE AGAIN. THE YANKEE S HAD BEEN PUTTING POISON GREASE ON THE BULLETS. THAT WAS THE REASON THE WOUND WOULDN'T GET WELL. THEY FEARED MARSE SAM GOING TO DIE, AND A SHORT TIME AFTER T HAT LETTER COME I KNOWED IT WAS SO. ONE NIGHT JUST ABOUT DUSK DARK, THE SCREECH OWLS, THEY COME IN A SWARM AND LIT IN THE BIG TREES IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE. A M IST OF DUST COME UP, AND THE OWLS, THEY HOLLER AND CARRY ON SO THAT OLD MARSE GE T HE GUN AND SHOT IT OFF TO SCARE THEM AWAY. THAT WAS A SIGN, BOSS, THAT SOMEBO DY GWINE TO DIE. I JUST KNOWED IT WAS MARSE SAM. SURE ENO !H, ,HE N XT D Y ,H(Y7GOT ,HE MESS GE ,HAT-M E2SjM DEA<. T HEY BRUNG HIM HOME ALL THE WAY FROM VIRGINNY AND BURIED HIM IN THE GRAVEYARD ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE GARDEN WITH HIS GRAY CLOTHES ON HIM AND THE FLAG ON THE CO FFIN. THAT'S WHAT I'S TELLING YOU, BOSS, 'CAUSE THEY CALLED ALL THE NIGGERS IN AND 'LOWED THEM TO LOOK AT MARSE SAM. I SEEN HIM, AND HE SURE LOOKED LIKE HE PE ACEFUL IN HE COFFIN WITH HIS SOLDIER CLOTHES ON. I HEARED AFTERWARDS THAT MARSE SAM BUCKED AND RARED JUST 'FORE HE DIED AND TRIED TO GET OUTEN THE BED, AND THA T HE CUSSED TO THE LAST. IT WAS THIS WAY, BOSS, HOW COME ME TO BE IN THE WjR. yOU SEE, THEY )Q UIRED ALL THE SLAVEOWNERS TO SEND SO MANY NIGGERS TO THE ARMY TO WORK DIGGING TH E TRENCHES AND THROWING UP THE BREASTWORKS AND REPAIRING THE RAILROADS WHAT THE YANKEES DONE 'STROYED. EVERY MARSE WAS 'QUIRED TO SEND ONE NIGGER FOR EVERY TEN THAT HE HAD. IFFEN YOU HAD A HUNDRED NIGGERS, YOU HAD TO SEND TEN OF THEM TO T HE ARMY . I WAS ONE OF THEM MY MARSE 'QUIRED TO SEND. THAT WAS THE WORST TIMES THAT THIS HERE NIGGER EVER SEEN, AND THE WAY THEM WHITE MEN DRIVE US NIGGnRS, I T WAS SOMETHING AWFUL. THE STRAP, IT WAS GOING FROM 'FORE DAY TILL 'WAY AFTER N IGHT. THE NIGGERS, HEAPS OF 'EM, JUST FALL IN THEY TRACKS -- GIVE OUT -- AND TH EM WHITE MEN LAYING THE STRAP ON THEY BACKS WITHOUT CEASTING. THAT WAS 'ZACKLY WAY IT WAS WITH THEM NIGGERS LIKE ME WHAT WAS IN THE ARMY WORK. I HAD TO STAND IT, BOSS, TILL THE WAR WAS OVER. THAT SURE WAS A BAD WAR THAT WnNT-ON rN GnORGIA. THAT IT W S. DID OU EVER HEAR 'BOUT THE ANDERSONVILLE PRISON IN GEORGIA? I TELL YOU, BOSS, THAT WA S 'BOUT THE WORSTEST PLACE THAT I EVER SEEN. THAT WAS WHERE THEY KEEP ALL THE Y ANKEES THAT THEY CAPTURE, AND THEY HAD SO MANY THERE THEY COULDN'T NIGH TAKE CAR E OF THEM. THE MOSTEST THAT THEY HAD FOR 'EM TO EAT WAS PEAS, AND THE FILTH, IT WAS TERRIBLE. THE SICKNESS, IT BROKE OUT 'MONGST 'EM ALL THE WHILE, AND THEY J UST DIE LIKE RATS WHAT BEEN PIZENED. THE FIRST THING THAT THE YANKEES DO WHEN T HEY TAKE THE STATE 'WAY FROM THE CONFEDERATES WAS TO FREE ALL THEM WHAT IN THE P RISON AT ANDERSONVILLE. SLAVERY TIME WAS TOUGH, BOSS. YOU JUST DON'T KNOW HOW TOUGH IT WAS. I CAN'T 'SPLAIN TO YOU JUST HOW BAD ALL THE NIGGERS WANT TO GET THEY FREEDOM. W ITH THE FREE NIGGERS IT WAS JUST THE SAME AS IT WAS WITH THEM THAT WAS IN BONDAG E. YOU KNOW THERE WAS SOME FEW FREE NIGGERS IN THAT TIME EVEN 'FORE THE SLAVES TAKEN OUTEN BONDAGE. IT WAS REALLY WORSE ON THEM THAN IT WAS WITH THEM WHAT WAS N'T FREE. THE SLAVEOWNERS, THEY JUST DESPISED THEM FREE NIGGERS AND MAKE IT JUS T AS HARD ON THEM AS THEY CAN. THEY COULDN'T GET NO WORK FROM NOBODY. WOULDN'T ARY MAN HIRE 'EM OR GIVE 'EM ANY WORK AT ALL. SO BECAUSE THEY WAS uP AGAr ST I T AND NEVER HAD ANY MONEY OR NOTHING, THE WHITE FOLKS MAKE THESE FREE NIGGERS 'S ESS THE TAXES. AND 'CAUSE THEY NEVER HAD NO MONEY FOR TO PAY THE TAX WITH, THEY PUT ON THE BLOCK BY THE COURT MAN OR THE SHERIFF AND sOLD-OUT O2 OM O