ANDREW GOODMAN,AGE-97.SLAVE IN ALA.                                     TEX.#207
     MY MOTHER, MARTHA GOODMAN, BELONGED TO MARSE BOB GOODMAN WHEN SHE WAS BORN,
 BUT MY PAW COME FROM TENNESSEE AND MARSE BOB HIRED HIM FROM SOME OF HIS KINFOLK
S WHAT DIED OVER THERE.  THE GOODMANS MUST HAVE BEEN FINE FOLKS ALL THE WAY ROUN
D, CAUSE MY PAW SAID THEM THAT RAISED HIM WAS GOOD TO THEIR NIGGERS.
     OLD MARSE NEVER ALLOWED NONE OF HIS NIGGER FAMILIES SEPARATED.  HE ALLOWED
 HE TqOUGHT IT-RIGHT jND FITTING THAT oOLKS STAY toGEcHnR, cqOdGH&I&HEjrD cnLLO
F SOME THAT DIDNT THINK SO.
     MY MISSUS WAS JUST AS GOOD AS MARSE BOB.  MY MAW WAS A PUNY LITTLE WOMAN
THAT WASNT ABLE TO DO WORK IN THE FIELDS, AND SHE PUTTERED ROUND THE HOUSE FOR T
HE MISSUS, DOING LITTLE ODD JOBS.   I PLAYED ROUND WITH LITTLE MISS SALLIE AND L
ITTLE MISTER BOB, AND I ATE WITH THEM AND SLEPT WITH THEM.  I USED TO SWEEP OFF
 THE STEPS AND DO THrNGS, jND SHE wOuLD kRAG-ON-ME jND-MjNY&IS cHE crmE I wOuLD
GET TO NODDING AND GO TO SLEEP, AND SHE WOULD PICK ME UP AND PUT ME IN BED WITH
HER CHILLUN.
     MARSE BOB DIDNT PUT HIS LITTLE NIGGERS IN THE FIELDS TILL THEY WAS BIG ENOU
GH TO WORK, AND THE MAMMIES WAS GIVEN TIME OFF FROM THE FIELDS TO COME BACK TO T
HE NURSING HOME TO SUCKLE THE BABIES.  HE DIDNT NEVER PUT THE NIGGERS OUT IN BAD
 WEATHER.  HE GIVE US  SOMETHING TO DO IN OUT OF THE WEATHER, LIKE SHELLING CORN
 AND THE WOMEN COULD SPIN AND KNIT.  THEY MADE US PLENTY OF GOOD CLOTHES.  IN
SUMMER WE WORE LONG SHIRTS, SPLIT UP THE SIDES, MADE OUT OF LOWERINGS -- THAT IS
 SAME AS COTTON SACKS WAS MADE OUT OF.  IN WINTER WE HAD GOOD JEANS AND KNITTED
 SWEATERS AND KNITTED SOCKS.
     MY PAW WAS A SHOEMAKER.  HE WOULD TAKE A CALFHIDE AND MAKE SHOES WITH THE H
AIRY SIDES TURNED IN, AND THEY WAS WARM AND KEPT YOUR FEET DRY.  MY MAW SPENT A
 LOT OF TIME CARDING AND SPINNING WOOL, AND I ALWAYS HAD PLENTY THINGS.
     LIFE WAS PRETTY FINE WITH MARSE BOB.  HE WAS A MAN OF PLENTY.  HE HAD A  OT
OF LAND AND HE BUILT HIM A BIG LOG HOUSE WHEN HE COME TO TEXAS.  HE HAD SEVERAL
HUNDRED HEAD OF CATTLE AND MORE THAN THAT MANY HOGS.  WE RAISED COTTON AND GRAIN
 AND CHICKENS AND VEGETABLES, AND MOST ANYTHING ANYBODY COULD ASK FOR.  SOME PLA
CES THE MASTERS GIVE OUT A PECK OF MEAL AND SO MANY POUNDS OF MEAT TO A FAMILY F
OR THEM A WEEKS RATIONS, AND IF THEY ATE IT ALL UP THAT WAS ALL THEY GOT.  BUT M
ARSE BOB ALWAYS GIVE OUT PLENTY, AND SAID, " IF YOU NEED MORE YOU CAN HAVE IT, C
AUSE AINT ANY GOING TO SUFFER ON MY PLACE."
     HE BUILT US A CHURCH, AND AN OLD MAN, KENNETH LYONS, WHO WAS A SLAVE OF THE
 LYON FAMILY NEARBY, USED TO GET A PASS EVERY SUNDAY MORNING AND COME TO PREACH
 TO US.  HE WAS A MAN OF GOOD LEARNING AND THE BEST PREACHER I EVER HEARD.  HE B
APTISED IN A LITTLE OLD MUDHOLE DOWN BACK OF OUR PLACE..  NEARLY ALL THE BOYS AN
D GALS GET CONVERTED WHEN THEY WAS ABOUT TWELVE OR FIFTEEN YEARS OLD. THEN ON SU
NDAY AFTERNOON, MARSE BOB LEARNED US TO READ AND WRITE.  HE TOLD US WE OUGHT TO
GET ALL THE LEARNING WE COULD.
     ONCE A WEEK THE SLAVES COULD HAVE ANY NIGHT THEY WANT FOR A DANCE OR FROLIC
. MANCE MCQUEEN WAS A SLAVE BELONGING ON THE DEWBERRY PLACE, WHAT COULD PLAY THE
 FIDDLE, AND HIS MASTER GIVE HIM A PASS  TO COME PLAY FOR US.  MARSE BOB GIVE US
 CHICKENS  OR KILLED A FRESH BEEF OR LET US MAKE MOLASSES CANDY.  WE COuLD CqO S
E ANY NIGHT, EXCEPT IN THE FALL OF THE YEAR.  THEN WE WORKED AWFUL HARD AND DIDN
T HAVE THE TIME.  WE HAD A GIN RUN BY HORSEPOWER AND AFTER SUNDOWN, WHEN WE LEFT
 THE FIELDS, WE USED TO GIN A BALE OF COTTON EVERY NIGHT.  MARSE ALWAYS GIVE US
 FROM CHRISTMAS EVE THROUGH NEW YEAR'S DAY OFF, TO MAKE UP FOR THE HARD WORK IN
THE FALL.
     CqRIStMAS TIME EVERYBODY GOT A PRESnNT jND-MjRSE kOB GIVE A BIG HOG tO
EVERY FOUR FAMILIES.  WE HAD MONEY TO BUY WHISKEY WITH.  IN SPARE TIME WE WOULD
-MjKE CORNSHUCK HORSE COLLARS AND ALL KINDS OF BASKETS, AND MARSE BOUGHT THEM OF
F US.  WHAT HE COULDNT USE, HE SOLD FOR US.  WE WOULD TAKE POST OAK AND SPLIT IT
 THIN WITH DRAWING KNIVES AND LET IT GET TOUGH IN THE SUN,AND THEN WEAVE IT INTO
 lOTtON BAsKETS AND FISH BASKETS AND LITTLE FANCY BASKETS.  THE MEN sPnNT THErR
 MONEY ON WHISKEY, CAUSE EVERYTHING ELSE WAS FURNISHED.  WE RAISED OUR OWN TOBAC
CO AND HUNG IT IN THE BARN TO SEASON, AND ANYBODY COULD GO GET IT WHEN THEY WANT
ED IT.
     WE ALWAYS GOT SATURDAY AFTERNOONS OFF TO FISH AND HUNT.  WE USED TO HAVE FI
SH FRIES AND PLENTY OF GAME IN THEM DAYS.
     lOuRSE, WE USED tO HEAR ABOUT OTHER PLACES WHnRE THEY&HADNIGGER DRIVERS AN
D BEAT THE SLAVES.  BUT I NEVER DID SEE OR HEAR TELL OF ONE OF MASTER'S SLAVES G
ETTING A BEATING.  WE HAD AN OVERSEER, BUT DIDNT KNOW WHAT A NIGGER DRIVER WAS.
 MARSE BOB HAD SOME NIGGER DOGS LIKE OTHER PLACES, AND USED TO TRAIN THEM FOR FU
N. HE WOULD GET SOME OF THE BOYS TO RUN FOR AN HOUR OR SO AND THEN PUT THE DOGS
 ON THE TRAIL.  HE WOULD SAY:"IF YOU HEAR THEM GETTING NEAR, TAKE TO A TREE."  B
UT MARSE BOB NEVER HAD NO NIGGERS RUN OFF.
     OLD MAN BRISCOLL, WHO HAD A PLACE NEXT TO OURS, WAS VICIOUS CRUEL.  HE WAS
MEAN TO HIS OWN BLOOD, BEATING HIS CHILLUN.  HIS SLAVES WAS AFRAID ALL THE TIME
AND HATED HIM.  OLD CHARLIE, A GOOD, OLD MAN WHO BELONGED TO HIM, RUN AWAY AND S
TAYED SIX MONTHS IN THE WOODS BEFORE BRISCOLL CAUGHT HIM.  THE NIGGERS USED TO H
ELP FEED HIM, BUT ONE DAY A NIGGER BETRAYED HIM, AND BRISCOLL PUT THE DOGS ON HI
M AND CAUGHT HIM.  HE MADE TO CHARLIE LIKE HE WASNT GOING TO HURT HIM NONE, AND
 HE COME TO HIM PEACEFUL.  WHEN HE TOOK HIM HOME, HE TIED HIM AND BEAT HIM FOR A
 TnRRIkLY-LONG TIME.  THEN HE TOOK A BIG, PINE tORCH jND-LET BuRNrNG-PITCH mROP
 rN sPOTS jLL OVnR HrM. -OLD CHjRLIE W S2SI K   OUT FoOuRMONTHS AND THEN HE DIE
D.
    -MjRSE kOB-KNOWED-ME BETTER THAN-MOST THE2sLAe S,&CA bE&I6f SROUND THE HOUS
E MORE.  ONE DAY HE CALLED ALL THE SLAVES TO THE YARD.  HE ONLY HAD 66 OF THEM,
CAUSE HE HAD DIVIDED WITH HIS SON AND DAUGHTER WHEN THEY MARRIED.  HE MADE A LIT
TLE SPEECH.  HE SAID:"I'M GOING TO A WAR, BUT I DONT THINK I WILL BE GONE LONG,
AND I'M TURNING THE OVERSEER OFF AND LEAVING ANDREW IN CHARGE OF THE PLACE, AND
 I WjNT EVnRYTHING TO GO ON, JUST LIKE I WAS HERE. -NOW, yOU jLL-MrND WHAT jNmRE
W SAYS, CAUSE IF YOU DONT, I'LL MAKE IT ROUGH ON YOU WHEN I COME BACK HOME."  HE
 WAS JOKING, THOUGH, CAUSE HE WOULDNT HAVE DONE NOTHING TO THEM.
     THEN HE SAID TO ME,"ANDREW, YOU IS OLD ENOUGH TO BE A MAN AND LOOK AFTER TH
INGS. TAKE CARE OF MISSUS AND SEE THAT NONE OF THE NIGGERS WANTS, AND TRY TO KEE
P THE PLACE GOING."
     WE DIDNT KNOW WHAT THE WAR WAS ABOUT, BUT MASTER WAS GONE FOUR YEARS.  WHEN
 OLD MISSUS HEARD FROM HIM, SHE WOULD CALL ALL THE SLAVES AND TELL US THE NEWS A
ND READ US HIS LETTER.  LITTLE PARTS OF IT SHE WOULDNT READ.  WE NEVER HEARD OF
HIM GETTING HURT NONE, BUT IF HE HAD, OLD MISSUS WOULDNT TELL US, CAUSE THE
NIGGERS USED TO CRY AND PRAY OVER HIM ALL THE TIME.  WE NEVER HEARD TELL WHAT TH
E WAR WAS ABOUT.
     WHEN MARSE BOB COME HOME, HE SENT FOR ALL THE SLAVES. HE WAS SITTING IN A Y
ARD CHAIR, ALL TUCKERED OUT, AND SHOOK HANDS ALL ROUND, AND SAID HE WAS GLAD TO
SEE US.  THEN HE SAID,:"I GOT SOMETHING TO TELL YOU.  YOU IS JUST AS FREE AS I I
S.  YOU DONT BELONG TO NOBODY BUT YOURSELVES.  WE WENT TO THE WAR AND FOUGHT, BU
T THE YANKEES DONE WHUP US, AND THEY SAY THE NIGGERS IS FREE.  YOU CAN GO WHERE
 YOU WANT TO GO, OR YOU CAN STAY HERE, JUST AS YOU LIKE."  HE COULDNT HELP BUT C
RY.
     THE NIGGERS CRY AND DONT MUCH KNOW WHAT MARSE BOB MEANS.  THEY IS SORRY ABO
UT THE FREEDOM, CAUSE THEY DONT KNOW WHERE TO GO,AND THEY HAD ALWAYS DEPENDED ON
 OLD MARSE TO LOOK AFTER THEM.  THREE FAMILIES WENT TO GET FARMS FOR THEMSELVES,
 BUT THE REST JUST STAYED ON FOR HANDS ON THE OLD PLACE.
     THE FEDERALS HAS BEEN COMING BY, EVEN BEFORE OLD MARSE COME HOME.  THEY ALL
 COME BY, CARRYING THEY LITTLE BUDGETS, AND IF THEY WAS WALKrNG ,H(Y6wOuLDLOOK
 IN THE STABLES FOR A HORSE OR MULE, AND THEY JUST TOOK WHAT THEY WANTED OF lORN
 OR LIVESTOCK.  THEY DONE THE SAME AFTER MARSE BOB COME HOME.  HE JUST SAID,
"LET THEM GO THEIR WAY, CAUSE THAT IS WHAT THEY ARE GOING TO DO, ANYWAY."  HE WA
S MORE SCARED OF THEM THAN WE WAS OF THE DEVIL.  BUT THEY SPOKE RIGHT KINDLY TO
US COLORED FOLKS.  THEY SAID: "IF YOU GOT A GOOD MASTER AND WANT TO STAY, WELL,
YOU CAN DO THAT, BUT NOW YOU CAN GO WHERE YOU WANT TO, CAUSE AINT NOBODY GOING T
O STOP YOU."
     THE NIGGERS CANT HARDLY GET USED TO THE IDEA.  WHEN THEY WANT TO LEAVE THE
 PLACE, THEY STILL GO UP TO THE BIG HOUSE FOR A PASS.  THEY JUST CANT UNDERSTAND
 ABOUT THE FREEDOM.  OLD MARSE OR MISSUS SAY,:YOU DONT NEED NO PASS.  ALL YOU
GOT TO DO IS JUST TAKE YOUR FOOT IN YOUR HAND AND GO."
     IT SEEM LIKE THE WAR JUST PLUMB BROKE OLD MARSE UP.  IT WASNT LONG TILL HE
 MOVED INTO TYLER AND LEFT MY PAW RUNNING THE FARM ON A HALFANCE WITH HIM AND TH
E NIGGER WORKERS.  HE DIDNT LIVE LONG, BUT I FORGETS JUST HOW LONG.  BUT WHEN MI
STER BOB INHERITED THE OLD PLACE, HE ALLOWED WE WOULD JUST GO ALONG WITH THE WAY
 HIS PAW HAD MADE THE TRADE WITH MY PAW.
     YOUNG MISTER BOB APPARENTLY DONE THE FIRST RASCALITY I EVER HEARD OF A GOOD
MAN DOING.  THE FIRST YEAR WE WORKED FOR HIM WE RAISED LOTS OF GRAIN AND OTHER
THINGS AND FIFTY-SEVEN BALES OF COTTON.  COTTON WAS FIFTY-TWO CENTS A POUND AND
 HE SHIPPED IT ALL AWAY, BUT ALL HE EVER GAVE US WAS A BOX OF CANDY AND A SACK O
F STORE TOBACCO AND A SACK OF SUGAR.  HE SAID THE ASSIGNMENT GOT LOST.  PAW SAID
 TO LET IT GO, CAUSE WE HAD ALWAYS LIVED BY WHAT THE GOODMANS HAD SAID.
     I GOT MARRIED AND LIVED ON THE OLD PLACE TILL I WAS IN MY LATE FIFTIES.  I
HAD SEVEN CHILLUN, BUT IF I GOT ANY LIVING NOW, I DONT KNOW WHERE THEY IS NOW.
  MY PAW AND MAW GOT TO OWN A LITTLE PIECE OF LAND NOT FAR FROM THE OLD PLACE, A
ND PAW LIVED TO BE 102 AND MAW 106.  I'M THE LAST ONE OF MY FOLKS.
     FOR TWENTY YEARS MY HEALTH AINT BEEN SO GOOD, AND I CANT WORK EVEN NOW, THO
UGH MY HEALTH IS BETTER THAN IN THE PAST.  I HAD HEMORRAGES.  ALL MY FOLKS DIED
ON ME, AND IT IS PRETTY ROUGH ON AN OLD MAN LIKE ME.  MY WHITE FOLKS IS ALL DEAD
 OR I WOULDNT BE ALLOWED TO GO HUNGRY AND COLD LIKE I DO, OR HAVE TO PAY RENT.
  X   XXX