BEN SIMPSONN AGE  90  SLAVE IN GEORGIA AND TEXAS
          BOSS, I'S BORN IN GEORGIA, IN NORCROSS, AND I'S NINETY YEARS OLD.  MY
FATHER'S NAME WAS ROGER STIELSZEN, AND MY MOTHER'S NAME WAS BETTY.  MASSA EARL S
TIELSZEN CAPTURES THEM IN AFRICA AND BRUNG THEM TO GEORGIA.  HE GOT KILT AND MY
SISTER AND ME WENT TO HIS SON.  HIS SON WAS A KILLER.  HE GOT IN TROUBLE THERE I
N GEORGIA AND GOT HIM TWO GOOD-STEPPING HOSSES AND THE COVERED WAGON.  THEN HE C
HAINS ALL HE SLAVES ROUND THE NECKS AND FASTENS THE CHAINS TO THE HOSSES AND MAK
ES THEM WALK ALL THE WAY TO TEXAS.  MY MOTHER AND MY SISTER HAD TO WALK.  EMMA W
AS MY SISTER.  SOMEWHERE ON THE ROAD IT WENT TO SNOWING, AND MASSA WOULDN'T LET
US WRAP ANYTHING ROUND OUR FEET.  WE HAD TO SLEEP ON THE GROUND, TOO, IN ALL THA
T SNOW.
          MASSA HAVE A GREAT, LONG WHIP PLATTED OUT OF RAWHIDE, AND WHEN ONE THE
 NIGGERS FALL BEHIND OR GIVE OUT, HE HIT HIM WITH THAT WHIP.  IT TAKE THE HIDE E
VERY TIME HE HIT A NIGGER.  MOTHER, SHE GIVE OUT ON THE WAY, 'BOUT THE LINE OF T
EXAS.  HER FOOT GOT RAW AND BLEEDING, AND HER LEGS SWOLL PLUMB OUT OF SHAPE.  TH
EN MASSA, HE JUST TAKE OUT HE GUN AND SHOT HER, AND WHILST SHE LAY DYING HE KICK
S HER TWO-THREE TIMES AND SAY, "DAMN A NIGGER WHAT CAN'T STAND NOTHING."  BOSS,
YOU KNOW THAT MAN, HE WOULDN'T BURY MOTHER, JUST LEAVE HER LAYING WHERE HE SHOT
HER AT.  YOU KNOW, THEN THERE WASN'T NO LAW 'GAINST KILLING NIGGER SLAVES.
ANGES HE NAME TO ALEX SIMPSON AND CHANGES OUR NAMES, TOO.  HE CUT LOGS AND HE BU
          HE COME PLUMB TO AUSTIN THROUGH THAT SNOW.  HE TAKEN UP FARMr G jND .H
ILDED HE HOME ON THE SIDE OF THEM MOUNTAINS.  WE NEVER HAD NO QUARTERS.  WHEN NI
GHTTIME COME, HE LOCKS THE CHAIN ROUND OUR NECKS AND THEN LOCKS IT ROUND A TREE.
   OSS, OUR BED WERE THE GROUND.  ALL HE FEED US WAS RAW MEAT AND GREEN CORN. 2B
OSS, I ET MANY A GREEN WEED.  I WAS HUNGRY.  HE NEVER LET US EAT AT NOON, HE WOR
KED US ALL DAY WITHOUT STOPPING.  WE WENT NAKED, THAT THE WAY HE WORKED US.  WE
NEVER HAD ANY CLOTHES.
          MY SISTER, EMMA, WAS THE ONLY WOMAN HE HAVE TILL HE MARRIES.  EMMA WAS
 WIFE OF ALL SEVEN NEGRO SLAVES.  HE SOLD HER WHEN SHE'S 'BOUT FIFTEEN, JUST2B F
ORE HER BABY WAS BORN.  I NEVER SEEN HER SINCE.
          BOSS, MASSA WAS A OUTLAW.  HE COME TO TEXAS AND DEAL IN S OLEN8+OSSES.
  JUST BEFORE HE'S HUNG FOR STEALING HOSSES HE MARRIES A YOUNG SPANISH GAL.  HE
SURE MEAN TO HER.  WHIPS HER 'CAUSE SHE WANTS HIM TO LEAVE HE SLAVES ALONE AND L
IVE RIGHT.  BLESS HER HEART, SHE'S THE BEST GAL IN THE WORLD.  SHE WAS THE BEST
THING GOD EVER PUT LIFE IN, IN THE WORLD.  SHE CRY AND CRY EVERY TIME MASSA GO O
FF.  SHE LET US A-LOOSE, AND SHE FEED US GOOD ONE TIME WHILE HE'S GONE.  MISSY S
ELENA, SHE TURN US A-LOOSE AND WE WASH IN THE CREEK CLOST BY.  SHE JUST FASTEN T
HE CHAIN ON US AND GIVE US GREAT BIG POT COOKED MEAT AND CORN, AND UP HE RIDES.
 NEVER SAYS A WORD BUT COME TO SEE WHAT US EATING.  HE PICK uP HE6WH P jND6>HP
HER TILL SHE FALLS.  IF I COULD HAVE GOT A-LOOSE I'D KILT HIM.  I SWORE IF I EVE
R GOT A-LOOSE I'D KILL HIM.  BUT BEFORE LONG AFTER THAT HE FAILS TO COME HOME, A
ND SOME PEOPLE FINDS HIM HANGING TO A TREE.  BOSS, THAT LONG AFTER WAR TIME HE G
OT HUNG.  HE DIDN'T LET US FREE.  WE WORE CHAINS ALL THE TIME.  WHEN WE WORK, WE
 mRUG THnM CHAINS WITH US.  AT NIGHT HE LOCK US tO A tREE  OKEEP US FROM RUNNIN
G OFF.  HE DIDN'T HAVE TO DO THAT.  WE WERE 'FRAID TO RUN.  WE KNEW HE'D KILL US
.  BESIDES, HE BRANDS US, AND THEY NO WAY TO GIT IT OFF.  IT'S PUT THERE WITH A
HOT IRON.  YOU CAN'T GIT IT OFF.
          IF A SLAVE DIE, MASSA MADE THE REST OF US TIE A ROPE ROUND HE FEET AND
 DRAG HIM OFF.  NEVER BURIED ONE, IT WAS TOO MUCH TROUBLE.
          MASSA ALWAYS SAY HE BE RICH AFTnR THE WjR.  HE STEjLrNG jLL cHE crmE.
 HE HAVE A WqOLE-MOuNTArNSIDE WHERE HE KEnP HE2S O K. -MSS2SnLnNA TnLL  SOOnE&D
AY WE S'POSED TO BE FREE, BUT HE DIDN'T TURN US A-LOOSE.  IT WAS 'BOUT THREE YEA
RS AFTER THE WAR THEY HUNG HIM.  MISSY TURNED US A-LOOSE.
         &I&HAD&A&HjrD crmE cHnn.  jLL&I&HAD tOEAT WAS WHAT I CULD FIND AND ST
EAL.  I WAS 'FRAID OF EVERYBODY.  I JUST WENT WILD AND TO THE WOODS, BUT, THANK
GOD, A BUNCH OF MEN TAKEN THEY DOGS, AND RUN ME DOWN.  THEY CARRY ME TO THEY PLA
CE.  GENERAL HOUSTON HAD SOME NIGGERS, AND HE MADE THEM FEED ME.  HE MADE THEM K
EEP ME TIL I GIT WELL AND ABLE TO WORK.  THEN HE GIVE ME A JOB.  I MARRY ONE OF
THE GALS BEFORE I LEAVES THEM.  I'M PLUMB OUT OF PLACE THERE AT MY OWN WEDDING.
 YES, SrR, BOSS, IT WASN'T-ONE YEjR BEoORE THAT I)M THE WrLD-NIGGnR.  WE HAD cHI
RTEEN CHILDREN.
         I FARMS ALL MY LIFE AFTER THAT.  I DIDN'T KNOW NOTHING ELSE TO DO.  I
MADE PLENTY COTTON, BUT NOW I'M TOO OLD.  ME AND MY WIFE IS ALONE NOW.  THIS OLD
 NIGGER GITS THE LITTLE PENSION FROM THE GOVERNMENT.  I NOT GOT MUCH LONGER TO S
TAY HERE.  I'S READY TO SEE GOD, BUT I HOPE MY OLD MASSA AIN'T THERE TO TORMENT
ME AGAIN.
  X   XXX