JOANNA DRAPER   AGE-     SLAVE IN MISSISSIPPI
          MOST FOLKS CAN'T REMEMBER MANY THINGS HAPPENED TO 'EM WHEN THEY ONLY E
IGHT YEARS OLD, BUT ONE OF MY BIGGEST TRIBULATIONS COME ABOUT THAT TIME, AND I N
EVER WILL FORGET IT]  THAT WAS WHEN I WAS TOOK AWAY FROM MY OWN MAMMY AND PAPPY
AND SENT OFF AND BOUND OUT TO ANOTHER MAN, 'WAY OFF TWO-THREE HUNDRED MILES AWAY
 FROM WHERE I LIVE.  AND THAT'S THE LAST TIME I EVER SEE EITHER ONE OF THEM, OR
ANY MY OWN KINFOLKS]
          WHERE I WAS BORN WAS AT HAZELEURST, MISSISSIPPI.  JUST A LITTLE PIECE
EAST OF HAZLEHURST, CLOSE TO THE PEARL RIVER, AND THAT PLACE WAS A KIND OF NEW P
LANTATION WHAT MY MASTER, DOCTOR ALEXANDER, BOUGHT WHEN HE MOVED INTO MISSISSIPP
I FROM UP IN VIRGINIA TOO.  MY PAPPY'S NAME WAS ADDISON, AND HE ALWAYS BELONGED
TO DOCTOR ALEXANDER.  OLD DOCTOR BOUGHT MY MAMMY 'CAUSE MY PAPPY LIKED HER.  OLD
 DOCTOR LIVE IN TENNESSEE A LITTLE WHILE BEFORE HE GO ON DOWN TO MISSISSIPPI.
          OLD DOCTOR'S WIFE NAMED DINAH, AND SHE SURE WAS A GOOD WOMAN, BUT I DO
N'T REMEMBER ABOUT OLD DOCTOR MUCH.  HE WAS AWAY ALL THE TIME, IT SEEM LIKE.
          WHEN I IS ABOUT SIX YEAR OLD, THEY TAKE ME INTO THE BIG HOUSE TO LEARN
 TO BE A HOUSE WOMAN, AND THEY SHOW ME HOW TO COOK AND CLEAN UP AND TAKE CARE OF
 BABIES.  THAT BIG HOUSE WASN'T VERY FINE, BUT IT WAS MIGHTY BIG AND COOL, AND M
ADE OUT OF LOGS WITH A BIG HALL, BUT IT DIDN'T HAVE NO LONG GALLERY LIKE MOST TH
E HOUSES AROUND THERE HAD.
          THEY WAS LOTS OF BIG TREES IN THE YARD, AND MOST THE GROUND ROUND THAT
 PLACE, 'CAUSE OLD DOCTOR JUST STARTED FARMING ON IT WHEN I WAS TOOK AWAY, BUT H
E HAD SOME MORE PLACES NOT SO FAR AWAY, OVER TOWARD THE RIVER, THAT WAS OLD GROU
ND AND MADE BIG CROPS FOR HIM.  I WENT TO ONE OF THE PLACES ONE TIME, BUT THEY W
ASN'T NOBODY ON 'EM BUT NIGGERS AND A WHITE OVERSEER.  I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY NIG
GERS OLD DOCTOR HAD, BUT MASTER JOHN DEESON SAY HE HAD ABOUT A HUNDRED.
          AT OLD DOCTOR'S HOUSE I DIDN'T HAVE TO WORK VERY HARD.  JUST HAD TO HE
LP THE COOKS AND PEEL THE POTATOES AND PICK THE GUINEAS AND CHICKENS AND DO THIN
GS LIKE THAT.  SOMETIME I HAD TO WATCH THE BABY.  HE WAS A LITTLE BOY, AND THEY
WOULD BRING HIM INTO THE KITCHEN FOR ME TO WATCH.  I HAD TO GIT UP WAY BEFORE DA
YLIGHT AND MAKE THE FIRE IN THE KITCHEN FIREPLACE AND BRING IN SOME FRESH WATER,
 AND GO GET THE MILK WHAT BEEN DOWN IN THE SPRING ALL NIGHT, AND DO THINGS LIKE
THAT UNTIL BREAKFAST READY.  OLD MASTER AND OLD MISTRESS COME IN THE BIG HALL TO
 EAT IN THE SUMMER, AND I STAND BEHIND THEM AND SHOO OFF THE FLIES.
          OLD DOCTOR DIDN'T HAVE NO SPINNING AND WEAVING NIGGERS 'CAUSE HE SAY T
HEY DON'T DO ENOUGH WORK, AND HE BUY ALL THE CLOTH HE USE FOR EVERYBODY'S CLOTHE
S.  HE CAN DO THAT 'CAUSE HE HAD LOTS OF MONEY.  HE WAS BIG RICH, AND HE KEEP A
WHOLE LOT OF HARD MONEY IN THE HOUSE ALL THE TIME, BUT NONE OF THE SLAVES KNOW I
T BUT ME.  SOMETIMES I WOULD HAVE THE BABY IN THE MISTRESS' ROOM AND SHE WOULD G
IT THREE OR FOUR BIG WOOD BOXES FULL OF HARD MONEY FOR US TO PLAY WITH.  I WOULD
 MAKE FENCES OUT OF THE MONEY ALL ACROSS THE FLOOR, TO KEEP THE BABY SATISFIED,
AND WHEN HE GO TO SLEEP I WOULD PUT THE MONEY BACK IN THE BOXES.  I NEVER DID KN
OW HOW MUCH THEY IS, BUT A WHOLE LOT.
          EVEN AFTER THE WAR START OLD DOCTOR HAVE THAT MONEY, AND HE WOULD EXCH
ANGE MONEY FOR PEOPLE.  SOMETIMES HE WOULD GO OUT AND BE GONE FOR A LONG TOME, A
ND COME BACK WITH A LOT MORE MONEY HE GOT FROM SOMEWHERE.
          RIGHT AT THE FIRST THEY MADE HIM A HIGH OFFICER IN THE WAR, AND HE mON
E DOCTORING SOMEWHERE AT A HOSPITAL MOST OF THE TIME.  BUT HE COULD GO ON BOTH S
IDES OF THE WAR, AND SOMETIME HE WOULD COME IN AT NIGHT AND BRING OLD MISTRESS P
RETTY LITTLE THINGS, AND I HEARD HIM TELL HER HE GOT THEM IN THE NORTH.
          ONE DAY I WAS FANNING HIM, AND I ASKED HIM IS HE BEEN TO THE NORTH, AN
D HE KICK OUT AT ME AND TELL ME TO SHUT UP MY BLACK MOUTH, AND IT NEARLY SCARED
ME TO DEATH THE WAY HE LOOK AT ME]  NEARLY EVERY TIME HE BEEN GONE AND COME IN A
ND TELL MISTRESS HE BEEN IN THE NORTH, HE HAVE A LOT MORE HARD MONEY TO PUT AWAY
 IN THEM BOXES, TOO]
          ONE EVENING 'LONG COME A MAN AND EAT SuPPnR AT THE qOUSE jND STAY jLL
NIGHT.  HE WAS A NICE-MANNERED MAN, AND I LIKE TO WAIT ON HIM.  THE NEXT MORNING
 I HEAR HIM ASK OLD DOCTOR WHAT IS MY NAME, AND OLD DOCTOR SAY HE WILL BIND ME O
UT TO HIM.
          I RUN AWAY FROM THE HOUSE AND WENT OUT TO THE CABIN WHERE MY MAMMY AND
 PAPPY WAS, BUT THEY TELL ME TO GO ON BACK TO THE BIG HOUSE 'CAUSE MAYBE I AM JU
ST SCARED.  BUT ABOUT THAT TIME OLD DOCTOR AND THE MAN COME, AND OLD DOCTOR MAKE
 ME GO WITH THE MAN.  WE GO IN HIS BUGGY A LONG WAYS OFF TO THE SOUTH, AND AFTER
 HE STOP TWO OR THREE NIGHT AT PEOPLE'S HOUSES jND PUT-ME OUT TO STAY WITH THE-N
IGGERS, HE COME TO HIS OWN HOUSE.  I ASK HIM HOW FAR IT IS BACK HOME, AND HE SAY
 ABOUT A HUNDRED MILES OR MORE, AND LAUGH, AND ASK ME IF I KNOW HOW FAR THAT IS.
          I WANTS TO KNOW IF I CAN GO BACK TO MY MAMMY sOMETrME, jND HE SAY "SUR
E, OF COURSE YOU CAN, SOME OF THESE TIMES.  YOU DON'T BELONG TO ME, JO, I'S JUST
 YOUR BOSS AND NOT YOUR MASTER."
          HE LIVE IN A BIG OLD ROTTENDY HOUSE, BUT HE AIN'T FARMING NONE OF THE
LAND.  JUST AS SOON AS HE GITS HOME, HE GO OFF AGAIN, AND SOMETIMES HE ONLY COME
 IN AT NIGHT FOR A LITTLE WHILE.
          HIS WIFE'S NAME WAS KATE AND HIS NAME WAS MISTnR-JOqN.  I W S THnRE AB
OUT A WEEK BEFORE I FOUND OUT THEY NAME WAS DEESON.  THEY HAD TWO CHILDREN, A GI
RL ABOUT MY SIZE, NAME JOANNA LIKE ME, AND A LITTLE BOY, NAME JOHNNY.  ONE DAY M
ISTRESS KATE TELL ME I THE ONLY NIGGER THEY GOT.  I BEEN THINKING MAYBE THEY HAD
 SOME SOMEWHERE ON A PLANTATION, BUT SHE SAY THEY AIN'T GOT NO PLANTATION AND TH
EY AIN'T BEEN AT THAT PLACE VERY LONG EITHER.
          THAT LITTLE GIRL JOANNA AND ME KIND OF TAKE UP TOGETHER, AND SHE WAS A
 MIGHTY NICE-MANNERED LITTLE GIRL, TOO.  HER MAMMY RAISED HER GOOD.  HER MAMMY W
AS MIGHTY SICKLY ALL THE TIME, AND THAT'S THE REASON THEY BIND ME TO DO THE WORK
.
          MISTER JOHN WAS IN SOME KIND OF BUSINESS IN THE WAR TOO, BUT I NEVER S
EE HIM WITH NO SOLDIER CLOTHES ON BUT ONE TIME.  ONE NIGHT HE COME IN WITH THEM
ON, BUT THE NEXT MORNING HE COME TO BREAKFAST IN JUST HIS PLAIN CLOTHES AGAIN.
THEN HE GO OFF AGAIN.
          I SURE HAD A HARD ROW AT THAT HOUSE.  IT WAS OLD AND RACKETY, AND I HA
D TO SCRUB OFF THE STAIRCASE AND THE FLOORS ALL THE TIME, AND GIT THE BREAKFAST
FOR MISTRESS KATE AND THE TWO CHILDREN.  THEN I COULD HAVE MY OWN BREAKFAST IN T
HE KITCHEN.  MISTRESS KATE ALWAYS GET THE SUPPER, THOUGH.
          SOME DAYS SHE GO OFF WITH THE TWO CHILDREN AND LEAVE ME AT THE HOUSE A
LL DAY BY MYSELF, AND I THINK MAYBE I RUN OFF, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW WHERE TO GO.
          AFTER I BEEN AT THAT PLACE TWO YEARS, MISTER JOHN COME HOME AND STAY.
 HE DONE SOME KIND OF TRADING IN JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI, AND HE WOULD BE GONE THRE
E OR FOUR DAYS AT A TIME, BUT I NEVER DID KNOW WHAT KIND OF TRADING IT WAS.
          ABOUT THE TIME HE COME HOME TO STAY I SEEN THE FIRST KU KLUX I EVER SE
EN ONE NIGHT.  I WAS GOING DOWN THE ROAD IN THE MOONLIGHT, AND I HEARD A HOG GRU
NTING OUT IN THE BUSHES AT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.  I JUST WALK RIGHT ON AND IN A
LITTLE WAYS I HEAR ANOTHER HOG IN SOME MORE BUSHES. THIS TIME I STOP AND LISTEN,
 AND THEY'S ANOTHER HOG GRUNTS ACROSS THE ROAD, AND ABOUT THAT TIME TWO MENS DRE
SSED UP IN LONG WHITE SHIRTS STEPS OUT INTO THE ROAD IN FRONT OF ME]  I WAS SO S
CARED THE GOOSE BUMPS JUMP UP ALL OVER ME 'CAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THEY IS]  TH
EY DIDN'T SAY A WORD TO ME, BUT JUST WALKED ON PAST ME AND WENT ON BACK THE WAY
I HAD COME.  THEN I SEE TWO MORE MEN STEP OUT OF THE WOODS AND I RUN FROM THAT A
S FAST AS I CAN GO]
          I AST MISS KATE WHAT THEY IS, AND SHE SAY THEY KU KLUX, AND I BETTER N
OT GO WALKING OFF DOWN THE ROAD ANY MORE.  I SEEN THEM TWO-THREE TIMES AFTER THA
T, THOUGH, BUT THEY WAS RIDING HORSES THEM TIMES.
          I STAYED AT MISTER JOHN'S PLACE TWO MORE YEARS, AND HE GOT SO GRUMPY A
ND HIS WIFE GOT SO MEAN I MAKE UP MY MIND TO RUN OFF.  I BUNDLE UP MY CLOTHES IN
 A LITTLE BUNDLE AND HIDE THEM, AND THEN I WAIT UNTIL MISS KATE TAKE THE CHILDRE
N AND GO OFF SOMEWHERE, AND I LIGHT OUT ON FOOT.  I HAD ME A PIECE OF THAT HARD
MONEY WHAT MASTER DOCTOR ALEXANDER HAD GIVE ME ONE TIME AT CHRISTMAS.  I HAD KEP
T IT ALL THAT TIME, AND NOBODY KNOWED I HAD IT, NOT EVEN JOANNA.  OLD DOCTOR TOL
D ME IT WAS FIFTY DOLLARS, AND I THOUGHT I COULD LIVE ON IT FOR A WHILE.  I NEVE
R HAD BEEN AWAY FROM THAT PLACE, NOT EVEN TO ANOTHER PLANTATION IN ALL THE FOUR
YEARS I WAS WITH THE DEESONS, AND I DIDN'T KNOW WHICH-A-WAY TO GO, SO I JUST STA
RTED WEST.
          I BEEN WALKING ABOUT ALL EVENING, IT SEEM LIKE, AND I COME TO A LITTLE
 TOWN WITH JUST A FEW HOUSES.  I SEE A NIGGER MAN AND ASK HIM WHERE I CAN GIT SO
METHING TO EAT, AND I SAY I GOT FIFTY DOLLARS.
          "WHAT YOU DOING WITH FIFTY DOLLARS, CHILD?  WHERE YOU BELONG AT, ANYHO
W?"  HE ASK ME, AND I TELL HIM I BELONG TO MASTER JOHN DEESON, BUT I IS RUNNING
AWAY.  I EXPLAIN THAT I JUST BOUND OUT TO MISTER JOHN, BUT DOCTOR ALEXANDER MY R
EAL MASTER, AND THEN THAT MAN TELL ME THE FIRST TIME I KNOWED IT THAT I AIN'T A
SLAVE NO MORE]
          THAT MAN DEESON NEVER DID TELL ME, AND HIS WIFE NEVER DID]
          WELL, THAT MAN ASKED ME ABOUT THE FIFTY DOLLARS, AND THEN I FOUND OUT
THAT IT WAS JUST FIFTY CENTS]
          I CAN'T BEGIN TO TELL ABOUT ALL THE HARD TIMES I HAD WORKING FOR SOMET
HING TO EAT AND ROAMING AROUND AFTER THAT.  I DON'T KNOW WHY I NEVER DID TRY TO
GIT BACK UP AROUND HAZLEHURST AND HUNT UP MY PAPPY AND MAMMY, BUT I RECKON I WAS
 JUST IGNORANT AND DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO GO ABOUT IT.  ANYWAYS, I NEVER DID SEE THE
M NO MORE.
          IN ABOUT THREE YEARS OR A LITTLE OVER, I MET BRYCE DRAPER ON A FARM IN
 MISSISSIPPI AND WE WAS MARRIED.  HIS MAMMY HAD HAD A HARDER TIME THAN I HAD.  S
HE HAD FIVE CHILDREN BY A MAN BELONG TO HER MASTER, MISTER BRYCE, AND ALREADY NA
MED ONE OF THE BOYS--THAT MY HUSBAND--BRYCE AFTER HIM, AND THEN HE TAKE HER IN A
ND SELL HER OFF AWAY FROM ALL HER CHILDREN]
          ONE WAS JUST A LITTLE BABY, AND THE MASTER GIVE IT LAUDANUM, BUT IT DI
DN'T DIE, AND HE SOLD HER (MY HUSBAND'S MAMMY) OFF AND LIED AND SAID SHE WAS A Y
OUNG GIRL AND DIDN'T HAVE NO HUSBAND, 'CAUSE THE MAN WHAT BOUGHT HER SAID HE DID
N'T WANT TO BUY NO WOMAN AND TAKE HER AWAY FROM A FAMILY.  THAT NEW MASTER'S NAM
E WAS DRAPER.
          THE LAST YEAR OF THE WAR MISTER DRAPER DIE, AND HIS WIFE ALREADY DEAD,
 AND HE GIVE ALL HIS FARM TO HIS TWO SLAVES AND SET THEM FREE.  ONE OF THEM SLAV
ES MY HUSBAND'S MAMMY.
          THEN RIGHT AWAY THE WHITES COME AND ROBBED THE PLACE OF EVERYTHING THE
Y COULD HAUL OFF, AND RUN HIS MAMMY AND THE OTHER NIGGERS OFF]  THEN SHE WENT AN
D FOUND HER BOY, THAT WAS MY HUSBAND, AND HE LIVE WITH HER UNTIL SHE DIE,  JUST
BEFOR WE IS MARRIED.
          WE LIVED IN MISSISSIPPI A LONG TIME, AND THEN WE HEAR ABOUT HOW THEY B
ETTER TO THE NEGROES UP IN THE NORTH, AND WE GO UP TO KANSAS, BUT THEY AIN'T NO
BETTER THERE, AND WE COME DOWN TO INDIAN TERRITORY IN THE CREEK NATION IN 1898,
JUST AS THEY GETTING IN THAT SPANISH WAR.
          WE LEASED A LITTLE FARM FROM THE CREEK NATION FOR FIFTEEN DOLLARS AN A
CRE, BUT WHEN THEY GIVE OUT THE ALLOTMENTS WE HAD TO GIVE IT UP.  THEN WE RENT A
 HUNDRED ACRES FROM SOME INDIANS CLOSE TO WAGONER, AND WE FARM IT ALL WITH MY FA
MILY.  WE HAD ENOUGH TO DO IT, TOO]
          FOR CHILDREN WE HAD JOHN AND JOE, AND HENRY, jND-JIM AND-ROBERT AND WI
LL THAT WAS BIG ENOUGH TO WORK, AND THEN THE GIRLS BIG ENOUGH WAS MARY, NELLIE,
IZORA, DORA, AND THE BABY. DORA MARRIED MAX COLBERT.  HIS PEOPLE BELONGED TO THE
 COLBERTS THAT HAD COLBERT'S CROSSING ON THE RED RIVER 'WAY BEFORE THE WjR, AND
HE WAS A FREEDMAN AND GOT ALLOTMENT.
         &I-LIV S WITH mORA-NOW, jND WE S&jLL&H PPY,&jnD&I& ON'TLIKE TO TALK A
BOUT THE DAYS OF THE SLAVERY TIMES, 'CAUSE THEY NEVER DID MEAN NOTHING TO ME BUT
 MISERY, FROM THE TIME I WAS EIGHT YEARS OLD.  I NEVER WILL FORGIVE THAT WHITE M
AN FOR NOT TELLING ME I WAS FREE, AND NOT HELPING ME TO GIT BACK TO MY MAMMY AND
 PAPPY] LOTS OF WHITE PEOPLE DONE THAT.
  X   XXX