MARY GRAYSON  AGE- 83  SLAVE IN INDIAN TERRITORY
          I AM WHAT WE COLORED PEOPLE CALL A "NATIVE."  THAT MEANS THAT I DIDN'T
 COME INTO THE INDIAN COUNTRY FROM SOMEWHERE IN THE OLD SOUTH, AFTER THE WAR, LI
KE SO MANY NEGROES DID, BUT I WAS BORN HERE IN THE OLD CREEK NATION, AND MY MAST
ER WAS A CREEK INDIAN.  THAT WAS EIGHTY THREE YEARS AGO, SO I'M TOLD.
          MY MAMMY BELONGED TO WHITE PEOPLE BACK IN ALABAMA WHEN SHE WAS BORN--D
OWN IN THE SOUTHERN PART, I THINK, FOR SHE TOLD ME THAT AFTER SHE WAS A SIZEABLE
 GIRL HER WHITE PEOPLE MOVED INTO THE EASTERN PART OF ALABAMA WHERE THERE WAS A
LOT OF CREEKS.  SOME OF THEM CREEKS WAS MIXED UP WITH THE WHITES, AND SOME OF TH
E BIG MEN IN THE CREEKS WHO COME TO TALK TO HER MASTER WAS ALMOST WHITE, IT LOOK
ED LIKE.  "MY WHITE FOLKS MOVED AROUND A LOT WHEN I WAS A LITTLE GIRL," SHE TOLD
 ME.
          WHEN MAMMY WAS ABOUT TEN OR TWELVE YEARS OLD, SOME OF THE CREEKS BEGUN
 TO COME OUT TO THE TERRITORY IN LITTLE BUNCHES.  THEY WASN'T THE ONES WHO WAS T
AKEN OUT HERE BY THE SOLDIERS AND CONTRACTOR MEN--THEY COME ON AHEAD BY THEMSELV
ES, AND MOST OF THEM HAD PLENTY OF MONEY, TOO.  A CREEK COME TO MY MAMMY'S MASTE
R AND BOUGHT HER TO BRING OUT HERE, BUT SHE HEARD SHE WAS BEING SOLD AND RUN OFF
 INTO THE WOODS.  THERE WAS AN OLD CLAY PIT, , DUG WAY BACK INTO A HIGH BANK, WH
ERE THE SLAVES HAD BEEN GETTING CLAY TO MIX WITH HOG-HAIR SCRAPINGS TO MAKE CHIN
KING FOR THE BIG LOG HOUSES THEY BUILT FOR THE MASTER AND THE CABINS THEY MADE F
OR THEMSELVES.  WELL, MY MAMMY RUN AND HID WAY BACK IN THAT OLD CLAY PIT, AND IT
 WAS 'WAY AFTER DARK BEFORE THE MASTER AND THE OTHER MAN FOUND HER.
          THE CREEK MAN THAT BOUGHT HER WAS A KIND SORT OF A MAN, MAMMY SAID, AN
D WOULDN'T LET THE MASTER PUNISH HER.  HE TOOK HER AWAY AND WAS KIND TO HER, BUT
 DECIDED SHE WAS TOO YOUNG TO BREED, AND HE SOLD HER TO ANOTHER CREEK WHO HAD SE
VERAL SLAVES ALREADY, AND HE BROUGHT HER OUT TO THE TERRITORY.
          THE  MCINTOSH MEN WAS THE LEADERS IN THE BUNCH THAT COME-OUT AT cHAT T
IME, AND ONE OF THE BUNCH, NAMED JIM PERRYMAN, BOUGHT MY MAMMY AND MARRIED HER T
O ONE OF  HIS "BOYS," BUT AFTER HE WAITED A WHILE AND SHE DIDN'T HAVE A BABY HE
DECIDED SHE WAS NO GOOD BREEDER AND HE SOLD HER TO MOSE PERRYMAN.
           MOSE PERRYMAN WAS MY MASTER, AND HE WAS A COUSIN TO LEGUS PERRyMjN, W
HO WAS A BIG MAN IN THE TRIBE.  HE WAS A LOT YOUNGER THAN MOSE, AND LAUGHED AT M
OSE FOR BUYING MY MAMMY, BUT HE GOT FOOLED, BECAUSE MY MAMMY GOT MARRIED TO MOSE
'S SLAVE BOY JACOB, THE WAY THE SLAVES WAS MARRIED THEM DAYS, AND WENT AHEAD AND
 HAD TEN CHILDREN FOR MISTER MOSE.
          MOSE PERRYMAN OWNED MY PAPPY AND HIS OLDER BROTHER, HECTOR, AND ONE OF
 THE  MCINTOSH MEN--OONA, I THINK HIS NAME WAS--OWNED MY PAPPY'S kROTHnR WrLLIjM
.  I CAN REMEMBER WHEN I FIRST HEARD ABOUT THERE WAS GOING TO BE A WAR.  THE OLD
ER CHILDREN WOULD TALK ABOUT IT, BUT THEY DIDN'T SAY IT WAS A WAR ALL OVER THE C
OUNTRY.  THEY WOULD TALK ABOUT A WAR GOING TO BE "BACK IN ALABAMA," AND I GUESS
THEY HAD HEARD THE CREEKS TALKING ABOUT IT THAT WAY.
          WHEN I WAS BORN WE LIVED IN THE CHOSKA (PRONOUNCED CHO-SKEY) BOTTOMS,
AND MISTER MOSE PERRYMAN HAD A LOT OF LAND BROKE IN ALL UP AND DOWN THE ARKANSAS
 RIVER ALONG THERE.  AFTER THE WAR, WHEN I HAD GOT TO BE A YOUNG WOMAN, THERE WA
S QUITE A SETTLEMENT GREW UP AT CHOSKA RIGHT ACROSS THE RIVER EAST OF WHERE HASK
ELL NOW IS, BUT WHEN I WAS A CHILD BEFORE THE WAR ALL THE WHILE BOTTOMS WAS MARS
HY KIND OF WILDERNESS EXCEPT WHERE FARMS HAD BEEN CLEARED OUT.  THE LAND WAS VER
Y RICH, AND THE CREEKS WHO GOT TO SETTLE THERE WERE LUCKY.  THEY ALWAYS HAD BIG
CROPS.  ALL WEST OF US WAS HIGH GROUND, TOWARD GIBSON STATION AND FORT GIBSON, A
ND THE LAND WAS SANDY.  SOME OF THE  MCINTOSHES LIVED OVER THAT WAY, AND MY UNCL
E WILLIAM BELONGED TO ONE OF THEM.
          WE SLAVES DIDN'T HAVE A HARD TIME AT ALL BEFORE THE WAR. I HAVE HADPE
OPLE WHO WERE SLAVES OF WHITE FOLKS BACK IN THE OLD STATES TELL ME THAT THEY HAD
 TO WORK AWFULLY HARD AND THEIR MASTERS WERE CRUEL TO THEM SOMETIMES, BUT ALL TH
E NEGROES I KNEW WHO BELONGED TO CREEKS ALWAYS HAD PLENTY OF CLOTHES AND LOTS TO
 EAT, AND WE ALL LIVED IN GOOD LOG CABINS WE BUILT.  WE WORKED THE FARM AND TEND
ED TO THE HORSES AND CATTLE AND HOGS, AND SOME OF THE OLDER WOMEN WORKED AROUND
THE OWNER'S HOUSE, BUT EACH NEGRO FAMILY LOOKED AFTER A PART OF THE FIELDS AND W
ORKED THE CROPS LIKE THEY BELONGED TO US.
          WHEN I FIRST HEARD TALK ABOUT THE WAR, THE SLAVES WERE ALLOWED TO GO A
ND SEE ONE ANOTHER SOMETIMES, AND OFTEN THEY WERE SENT ON ERRANDS SEVERAL MILES
WITH A WAGON OR ON A HORSE, BUT PRETTY SOON WE WERE ALL KEPT AT HOME, AND NOBODY
 WAS ALLOWED TO COME AROUND AND TALK TO US.  BUT WE HEARD WHAT WAS GOING ON.
          THE  MCINTOSH MEN GOT NEARLY EVERYBODY TO SIDE WITH THEM ABOUT THE WjR
, BUT WE NEGROES GOT WORD SOMEHOW THAT THE CHEROKEES OVER BACK OF FORT GIBSON WA
S NOT GOING TO BE IN THE WAR AND THAT THERE WERE SOME UNION PEOPLE OVER THERE WH
O WOULD HELP SLAVES TO GET AWAY, BUT WE CHILDREN DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT
 WE HEARD OUR PARENTS WHISPERING ABOUT, AND THEY WOULD STOP IF THEY HEARD US LIS
TENING.  MOST OF THE CREEKS WHO LIVED IN OUR PART OF THE COUNTRY, BETWEEN THE AR
KANSAS AND THE VERDIGRIS, AND SOME EVEN SOUTH OF THE ARKANSAS, BELONGED TO THE L
OWER CREEKS AND SIDED WITH THE SOUTH, BUT DOWN BELOW US ALONG THE CANADIAN RIVER
 THEY WERE UPPER CREEKS, AND THERE WAS A GOOD DEAL OF TALK ABOUT THEM GOING WITH
 THE NORTH.  SOME OF THE NEGROES TRIED TO GET AWAY AND GO DOWN TO THEM, BUT I DO
N'T KNOW OF ANY FROM OUR NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WENT TO THEM.
          SOME UPPER CREEKS CAME UP INTO THE CHOSKA BOTTOMS TALKING AROUND AMONG
 THE FOLKS THERE ABOUT SIDING WITH THE NORTH.  THEY WERE TALKING, THEY SAID, FOR
 OLD MAN GOUGE, WHO WAS A BIG MAN AMONG THE UPPER CREEKS.  HIS INDIAN NAME WAS O
POETH-LE-YA-HOLA, AND HE GOT AWAY INTO KANSAS WITH A BIG BUNCH OF CREEKS AND SEM
INOLES DURING THE WAR.
          BEFORE THAT TIME, I REMEMBER ONE NIGHT MY UNCLE WILLIAM BROUGHT A O,HE
R NEGRO MAN TO OUR CABIN AND TALKED A LONG TIME WITH MY PAPPY, BUY PRETTY SOON S
OME OF THE PERRYMAN NEGROES TOLD THEM THAT MISTER MOSE WAS COMING DOWN, AND THEY
 WENT OFF INTO THE WOODS TO TALK.  BUT MISTER MOSE DIDN'T COME DOWN.  WHEN PAPPY
 CAME BACK, MAMMY CRIED QUITE A WHILE, AND WE CHILDREN COULD HEAR THEM ARGUING L
ATE AT NIGHT.  THEN MY UNCLE HECTOR SLIPPED OVER TO OUR CABIN SEVERAL TIMES AND
TALKED TO PAPPY, AND MAMMY BEGAN TO FIX UP GRUB, BUT SHE DIDN'T GIVE US CHILDREN
 BUT A LITTLE BIT OF IT, AND TOLD US TO STAY AROUND WITH HER AT THE CABIN AND NO
T GO PLAYING WITH THE OTHER CHILDREN.
          THEN EARLY ONE MOTNING, ABOUT DAYLIGHT, OLD MISTER MOSE CAME DOWN TO T
HE CABIN IN HIS BUGGY, WAVING A SHOTGUN AND HOLLERING AT THE TOP OF HIS VOICE.
I NEVER SAW A MAN SO MAD IN ALL MY LIFE, BEFORE NOR SINCE].
          HE YELLED IN AT MAMMY TO "GIT THEM CHILDREN TOGETHER AND GIT UP TO MY
HOUSE BEFORE I BEAT YOU AND ALL OF THEM TO DEATH]"  MAMMY BEGAN TO CRY AND PLEAD
 THAT SHE DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING, BUT HE ACTED LIKE HE WAS GOING TO SHOOT SURE ENO
UGH, SO WE ALL RAN TO MAMMY AND STARTED FOR MISTER MOSE'S HOUSE AS FAST AS WE CO
ULD TROT.
          WE HAD TO PASS ALL THE OTHER NEGRO CABINS ON THE WAY, AND WE COULD SEE
 THAT THEY WERE ALL EMPTY, AND IT LOOKED LIKE EVERYTHING IN THEM HAD BEEN TORE U
P.  STRAW AND CORN SHUCKS ALL OVER THE PLACE, WHERE SOMEBODY HAD TORE UP THE MAT
TRESSES, AND ALL THE PANS AND KETTLES GONE OFF THE OUTSIDE WALLS WHERE THEY USED
 TO HANG THEM.
          AT ONE PLACE WE SAW TWO NEGRO BOYS LOADING SOME IRON KETTLES ON A WAGO
N, AND A LITTLE FURTHER ON WAS SOME BOYS CATCHING CHICKENS IN A YARD, BUT WE COU
LD SEE ALL THE NEGROES HAD LEFT IN A BIG HURRY.
          I ASKED MAMMY WHERE EVERYBODY HAD GONE AND SHE SAID, "UP TO MISTER MOS
E'S HOUSE, WHERE WE ARE GOING.  HE'S CALLING US ALL IN."
          "WILL PAPPY BE UP THERE TOO?" I ASKED HER.
          "NO.  YOUR PAPPY AND YOUR UNCLE HENRY AND YOUR UNCLE WILLIAM AND A LOT
-OF-OTHER MENFOLKS WON' BE HERE ANY MORE.  THEY WENT AWAY.  THAT'S WHY MISTER M
OSE IS SO MAD, SO IF ANY OF YOU YOUNG-UNS SAY ANYTHING ABOUT ANY STRANGE MEN COM
ING TO OUR PLACE I'LL BREAK YOUR NECKS]"  MAMMY WAS SURE SCARED]
          WE ALL THOUGHT SURE SHE WAS GOING TO GIT A BIG WHIPPING, BUT MISTER MO
SE JUST LOOKED AT HER A MINUTE AND THEN TOLD HER TO GIT BACK TO THE CABIN AND BR
ING ALL THE CLOTHES, AND BED TICKS AND ALL KINDS OF CLOTH WE HAD AND COME BACK R
EADY TO TRAVEL.
          "WE'RE GOING TO TAKE ALL YOU BLACK DEVILS TO A PLACE WHERE THERE WON'T
 NO MORE OF YOU RUN AWAY]" HE YELLED AFTER US.  SO WE GOT READY TO LEAVE AS QUIC
K AS WE COULD.  I KEPT CRYING ABOUT MY PAPPY, BUT MAMMY WOULD SAY, "DON'T YOU WO
RRY ABOUT YOUR PAPPY, HE'S FREE NOW.  BETTER BE WORRYING ABOUT US.  NO TELLING W
HERE WE'LL END UP]"  THERE WAS FOUR OR  FIVE CREEK FAMILIES AND THEIR NEGROES AL
L GOT TOGETHER TO LEAVE, WITH ALL THEIR STUFF PACKED IN BUGGIES AND WAGONS, AND
BEING TOTED BY THE NEGROES OR CARRIED TIED ON HORSES, JACKASSES, MULES, AND MILK
CATTLE.  I RECKON IT WAS A FUNNY-LOOKING SIGHT, OR IT WOULD BE TO A PERSON NOW,
THE WAY WE WAS LOADED DOWN WITH ALL MANNER OF BAGGAGE WHEN WE MET AT THE OLD FOR
D ACROSS THE ARKANSAS THAT LED TO THE CREEK AGENCY.  THE AGENCY STOOD ON A HIGH
 HILL A FEW MILES ACROSS THE RIVER FROM WHERE WE LIVED, BUT WE COULDN'T SEE IT F
ROM OUR PLACE DOWN IN THE CHOSKA BOTTOMS.  BUT AS SOON AS WE GOT UP ON THE UPLAN
D EAST OF THE BOTTOMS WE COULD LOOK ACROSS AND SEE THE HILL.
          WHEN WE GOT TO A GROVE AT THE FOOT OF THE HILL NEAR THE AGENCY, MISTER
 MOSE AND THE OTHER MASTERS WENT UP TO THE AGENCY FOR A WHILE.  I SUPPOSE THEY F
OUND OUT UP THERE WHAT EVERYBODY WAS SUPPOSED TO DO AND WHERE THEY WAS SUPPOSED
TO GO, FOR WHEN WE STARTED ON IT WASN'T LONG UNTIL SEVERAL MORE FAMILIES AND THE
IR SLAVES HAD JOINED THE PARTY, AND WE MADE QUITE A BIG CROWD.
          THE LITTLE NEGRO BOYS HAD TO CARRY A LITTLE BUNDLE APIECE, BUT MISTER
MOSE DIDN'T MAKE THE LITTLE GIRLS CARRY ANYTHING AND LET US RIDE IF WE COULD FIN
D ANYTHING TO RIDE ON.  MY MAMMY HAD TO HELP LEAD THE COWS PART OF THE TIME, BUT
  A LOT OF THE TIME SHE GOT TO RIDE AN OLD HORSE, AND SHE WOULD PUT ME UP BEHIND
 HER.  IT NEARLY SCARED ME TO DEATH, BECAUSE I HAD NEVER BEEN ON A HORSE BEFORE,
 AND SHE HAD TO HOLD ON TO ME ALL THE TIME TO KEEP ME FROM FALLING OFF.
         -OF COURSE, , I WAS TOO SMALL TO KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON THEN, BUT I COU
LD TELL THAT ALL THE MASTERS AND NEGROES SEEMED TO BE MIGHTY WORRIED AND CAREFUL
 ALL THE TIME.  OF COURSE, I KNOW NOW THAT THE CREEKS WERE ALL SPLIT UP OVER THE
 WAR, AND NOBODY WAS ABLE TO TELL WHO WOULD BE FRIENDLY TO US OR WHO WOULD TRY T
O POISON US OR KILL US, OR AT LEAST ROB US.  THERE WAS A LOT OF BUSHWACKING ALL
THROUGH THE COUNTRY BY LITTLE GROUPS OF MEN WHO WAS JUST OUT TO GET ALL THEY COU
LD.  THEY WOULD APPEAR LIKE THEY WAS THE ENEMY OF ANYBODY THEY RUN ACROSS, JUST
TO HAVE AN EXCUSE TO ROB THEM OR BURN UP THEIR STUFF.  IF YOU SAID YOU WAS WITH
THE SOUTH THEY WOULD BE WITH THE NORTH, AND IF YOU CLAIMED TO BE WITH THE YANKEE
S THEY WOULD BE WITH THE SOUTH, SO OUR PARTY WAS KIND OF UPSET ALL THE TIME WE W
AS PASSING THROUGH THE COUNTRY ALONG THE CANADIAN.  THAT WAS WHERE OLD GOUGE HAD
 BEEN TALKING AGAINST THE SOUTH.  I'VE HEARD FOLKS SAY THAT HE WAS A WONDERFUL S
PEAKER, TOO.
          WE ALL HAD TO MOVE ALONG MIGHTY SLOW, ON ACCOUNT OF THE ONES ON FOOT,
AND WE WOULDN'T GET VERY FAR IN ONE DAY, THEN WE NEGROES HAD TO FIX UP A PLACE T
O CAMP AND GET WOOD AND COOK SUPPER FOR EVERYBODY.  SOMETIMES WE WOULD COME TO A
 PLACE TO CAMP AND GET WOOD AND COOK SUPPER FOR EVnRYBODY.  SOMETIMES WE WOULD C
OME TO A PLACE TO CAMP THAT SOMEBODY KNEW ABOUT, AND WE WOULD FIND IT ALL TROMPE
D DOWN BY HORSES AND THE SPRING ALL FILLED IN AND RUINED.  I RECKON OLD GOUGES'S
 PEOPLE WOULD TEAR UP THINGS WHEN THEY LEFT, OR MAYBE SOME SOUTHERN BUSHWACKERS
WOULD DO IT.  I DON'T KNOW WHICH.
          WHEN WE GOT DOWN TO WHERE THE NORTH FORK RUNS INTO THE CANADIAN, WE WE
NT AROUND THE PLACE WHERE THE CREEK TOWN WAS.  THERE WAS LOTS OF CREEKS DOWN THE
RE WHO WAS ON THE OTHER SIDE, SO WE PASSED AROUND THAT PLACE AND FORDED ACROSS W
EST OF THERE.  THE FORD WAS A BAD ONE, AND IT TOOK US A LONG TIME TO GET ACROSS.
  EVERYBODY GOT WET AND A LOT OF THE STUFF ON THE WAGONS GOT WET.  PRETTY SOON W
E GOT DOWN INTO THE CHICKASAW COUNTRY, AND EVERYBODY WAS FRIENDLY TO US, BUT THE
 CHICKASAW PEOPLE DIDN'T TREAT THEIR SLAVES LIKE THE CREEKS DID.  THEY WAS MORE
STRICT, LIKE THE PEOPLE IN TEXAS AND OTHER PLACES.  THE CHICKASAWS SEEMED LIGHTE
R COLOR THAN THE CREEKS,  BUT THEY TALKED MORE IN INDIAN AMONG THEMSELVES AND TO
 THEIR SLAVES.  OUR MASTERS TALKED ENGLISH NEARLY ALL THE TIME EXCEPT WHEN THEY
WERE TALKING TO CREEKS WHO DIDN'T TALK GOOD ENGLISH, AND WE NEGROES NEVER DID LE
ARN VERY GOOD CREEK.  I COULD ALWAYS UNDERSTAND IT, AND CAN YET, A LITTLE, BUT I
 NEVER DID TRY TO TALK MUCH.  MAMMY AND PAPPY USED ENGLISH TO US ALL THE TIME.
          MISTER MOSE FOUND A PLACE FOR US TO STOP CLOSE TO FORT WASHITA, AND GO
T US PLACES FOR US TO STAY AND WORK.  I DON'T KNOW WHICH DIRECTION WE WERE FROM
FORT WASHITA, BUT I KNOW WE WERE NOT VERY FAR.  I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY YEARS WE W
ERE DOWN IN THERE, BUT I KNOW IT WAS OVER TWO,FOR WE WORKED ON CROPS AT TWO DIFF
ERENT PLACES, I REMEMBER.  THEN ONE DAY MISTER MOSE CAME AND TOLD US THAT THE WA
R WAS OVER AND THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO ROOT FOR OURSELVES AFTER THAT.  THEN HE JUS
T RODE AWAY, AND I NEVER SAW HIM AFTER THT UNTIL AFTER WE HAD GOT BACK UP INTO T
HE CHOSKA COUNTRY.  MAMMY HEARD THAT THE NEGROES WERE GOING TO GET  EQUAL RIGHTS
 WITH THE CREEKS AND THAT SHE SHOULD GO TO THE CREEK AGENCY TO DRAW FOR US, SO W
E SET OUT TO TRY TO GET BACK.
          WE STARTED OUT ON FOOT AND WOULD GO A LITTLE WAYS EACH DAY, AND MAMMY
WOULD TRY TO GET A LITTLE SOMETHING TO DO TO GET US SOME FOOD.  TWO OR THREE TIM
ES SHE GOT PAID IN MONEY, SO SHE HAD SOME MONEY WHEN WE GOT  BACK.  AFTER THREE
 OR FOUR DAYS OF WALKING, WE CAME ACROSS SOME MORE NEGROES WHO HAD A HORSE, AND
MAMMY PAID THEM TO LET US CHILDREN RIDE AND TIE WITH THEIR CHILDREN FOR A DAY OR
 TWO.  THEY HAD THEIR CHILDREN ON THE HORSE, SO TWO OF THREE LITTLE ONES WOULD G
ET ON WITH A LARGER ONE TO GUIDE THE HORSE, AND WE WOULD RIDE A WHILE AND GET OF
F AND TIE THE HORSE AND START WALKING ON DOWN THE ROAD.  THEN WHEN THE OTHERS CA
UGHT UP WITH THE HORSE THEY WOULD RIDE UNTIL THEY CAUGHT UP WITH US.  PRETTY SOO
N THE OLD PEOPLE GOT AFRAID TO HAVE US DO THAT, SO WE JUST LED THE HORSE AND SOM
E OF THE LITTLE ONES RODE IT.
          WE HAD OUR HARDEST TIMES WHEN WE WOULD GET TO A RIVER OR A BIG CREEK.
 IF THE WATER WAS SWIFT, THE HORSE DIDN'T DO ANY GOOD, FOR IT WOULD SHY AT THE W
ATER AND THE LITTLE ONES COULDN'T STAY ON, SO WE WOULD HAVE TO JUST WAIT UNTIL S
OMEONE CAME ALONG ON A WAGON AND MAYBE HAVE TO PAY THEM WITH SOME OF OUR MONEY O
R SOME OF OUR GOODS WE WERE BRINGING BACK TO HAUL US ACROSS.  SOMETIMES WE HAD T
O WAIT ALL DAY BEFORE ANYONE WOULD COME ALONG IN A WAGON.
          WE WERE COMING NORTH ALL THIS TIME, UP THROUGH THE SEMINOLE NATION, BU
T WHEN WE GOT TO WELEETKA WE MET A CREEK FAMILY OF FREEDMEN WHO WERE GOING TO TH
E AGENCY TOO, AND MAMMY PAID THEM TO TAKE US ALONG IN THEIR WAGON.  WHEN WE GOT
TO THE AGENCY, MAMMY MET A NEGRO WHO HAD SEEN PAPPY AND KNEW WHERE HE WAS, SO WE
 SENT WORD TO HIM AND HE CAME AND FOUND US.  HE HAD BEEN THROUGH MOST OF THE WAR
 IN THE UNION ARMY.
          WHEN HE GOT AWAY INTO THE CHEREKEE COUNTRY, SOME OF THEM CALLED THE "P
INS" HELPED TO SMUGGLE HIM ON UP INTO MISSOURI AND OVER INTO KANSAS,BUT HE SOON
FOUND THAT HE COULDN'T GET ALONG AND STAY SAFE UNLESS HE WENT WITH THE ARMY.  HE
 WENT WITH THEM UNTIL THE WAR WAS OVER AND WAS AROUND GIBSON QUITE A LOT.  WHEN
HE WAS THERE HE TRIED TO FIND OUT WHERE WE HAD GONE BUT SAID HE NEVER COULD FIND
 OUT.  HE WAS IN THE BATTLE OF HONEY SPRINGS, HE SAID, BUT NEVER WAS HURT OR SIC
K.  WHEN WE GOT BACK TOGETHER, WE CLEARED A SECTION OF LAND A LITTLE EAST OF THE
 CHOSKA BOTTOMS, NEAR WHERE CLARKSVILLE NOW IS, AND FARMED UNTIL I WAS A GREAT B
IG GIRL.
          I WENT TO SCHOOL AT A LITTLE SCHOOL CALLED BLACKJACK SCHOOL.  I THINK
IT WAS A KIND OF MISSION SCHOOL AND NOT ONE OF THE CREEK NATION SCHOOLS, BECAUSE
 MY FIRST TEACHER WAS MISS BETTY WEAVER AND SHE WAS NOT A CREEK BUT A CHEROKEE.
 THEN WE HAD TWO WHITE TEACHERS, MISS KING AND JOHN KERNAN, AND ANOTHER CHEROKEE
 WAS IN CHARGE.  HIS NAME WAS ROSS, AND HE WAS KILLED ONE DAY WHEN HIS HORSE FEL
L OFF A BRIDGE ACROSS THE VERDIGRIS, ON THE WAY FROM TULLAHASSEE TO GIBSON STATI
ON.
          WHEN I GOT TO BE A YOUNG WOMAN I WnNT tO-OKMulGEE&jnD wOkED&oOR2sOmE
PEOPLE NEAR THERE FOR SEVERAL YEARS, THEN I MARRIED TATE GRAYSON.  WE GOT OUR FR
EEDMEN'S ALLOTMENTS ON MINGO CREEK, EAST OF TULSA, AND LIVED THERE UNTIL OUR CHI
LDREN WERE GROWN AND TATE DIED, THEN I CAME TO LIVE WITH MY DAUGHTER IN TULSA.
  X   XXX