NO NAME                                                                 GEO. #49
ON OUR PLANTATION DE WHITE FOLKS WERE  FEEDIN' THE SLAVES OFF FAT MEAT,JOWLS,
AN' THE HEADS AN' JAWS.  DEY KEPT ALL DE MEAT OUT IN DE SMOKE HOUSE IN DE BACK
YARD.  IN DIS HOUSE DEY KEPT DE HAMS ALL HANGIN' UP HIGH AN' ABOVE DEM DEY KEPT
DE SAUSAGES AND DEN ABOVE DEM DEY KEPT DE FINEST HAMS ALL TRIMMED AN' EVERYTHING
.  DE SLAVES EAT DE FAT MEAT AN' THOUGHT DAT DEY WUS EATIN' POUND CAKE.  COME DO
WN TO CHICKEN --- IF YOU GOT IT YOU STOLE IT WHEN DE WHITE
FOLKS WUS SLEEP AT NIGHT AN' DEN YOU HAD TO BE CAREFUL AN' BURY ALL DE FEATHERS
IN DE GROUND 'CAUSE IF YOU BURNED 'EM DE WHITE FOLKS WOULD SMELL 'EM.  WE BOYS I
N DE FIEL' USED TO BE SO HUNGRY 'TILL WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.  DE OVERSEER WO
ULD BE SETTIN' DOWN UNDER A TREE AN' HE WOULD HOLLER "KEEP GOIN'." DE SWEAT WOUL
D BE JES' RUNNIN' OFF YOU AND SOMETIMES YOU COULD SMELL ONE ANOTHER.
DERE WUS A SPRING NEARBY AN' WHEN WE WOULD GET TO IT WE WOULD FALL DOWN AN' DRIN
K FUM BE BRANCH, DE WOMEN WOULD BE PLOWIN' AN' HOEIN' GRAIN AN' DE SPANISH NEEDL
ES AN' COCKLE BURRS WOULD BE STICKIN' TO DERE DRESSES
FUM DERE KNEES TO DERE FEET.
FURTHER  DOWN DERE WOULD BE A MAN DIGGIN' A DITCH. EVERY NOW AN' DEN WHITE FOLKS
  WOULD WALK OVER TO DE DITCH AN' SEE IF IT WUS DE SAME WIDTH ALL DE6W Y.
YOU GO OFF TO SEE SOMEBODY AT NIGHT---JES' LIKE YOU AN' ME WANT TO LAFF AN' TALK
  ---AN' IF DEY KETCH AN' YOU AIN'T GOT NO PASS DEN DEY GWINE TO WHUP YOU.
YOU BE GLAD TO GIT AWAY TOO 'CAUSE WHEN DEY HIT YOU,YOU WAS HIT.  I WUS DOWN TO
 OL' JOHN BRADY'S PLACE ONE NIGHT TALKIN' TO A LADY AN' OL' MAN BRADY SLIPPED UP
  BEHIN' ME AN' CAUGHT ME IN DE COLLAR AN' HE SAY: "WHAT8>OU  OI)'6OVER HER(? --
-  I'M GOIN' TO GIVE YOU TWENTY-FIVE LASHES" AN' DEN HE SAY TO ME: "COME HERE."
HE WAS JES' ABOUT AS TALL AS I AM AN' WHEN I GOT TO 'IM HE SAY TURN 'ROUN' AN' I
 SAY TO 'IM DAT I AIN'T DOIN' NUTHIN' AN' DEN HE SAY: "DAT'S WHUT I'M GOIN' TO W
HUP YOU FER 'CAUSE YOU OUGHT TO BE HOME DOIN' SOMETHING. ABOUT DAT TIME WHEN I
STOOPED OVER TO TAKE OFF MY COAT I CAUGHT 'IM IN HIS PANTS AN' THROWED 'IM IN A
PUDDLE O' WATER AN' DEN I LIT OUT FER HOME . IF YOU GIT HOME DEY COULDN'T DO NUT
HIN' TO YOU.  HE TRIED TO CHASE ME BUT HE DIDN'T KNOW DE WAY THROUGH DE WOODS LI
KE I DID AN' HE FELL IN A GULLEY AN' HURT HIS ARM.  DE NEXT MORNIN' WHEN I WUS H
ITCHIN' UP DE BOSS MAN'S HORSE I SEED 'IM COMIN' AN' I TOL DE BOSS DAT HE TRIED
TO WHUP ME DE NIGHT BEFO' AN' DEN DE BOSS MAN SAY "DID HE HAVE YOU?" I TOL' 'IM
 DAT HE DID BUT DAT I GOT AWAY. AN' DEN DE BOSS SAY: " HE HAD YOU AN' HE DIDN'T
 HAVE YOU --- IS DAT RIGHT?"  DEN HE SAY "DON'T WORRY ABOUT DAT I CAN GIT YOU OU
T OF DAT. " IF HE HAD YOU HE SHOULDA WHUPPED YOU AN' DAT WOULDA BEEN HIS GAME BU
T HE LET YOU GIT AWAY AN' SO DAT WUS YO' GAME."  'BOUT DAT TIME OL' MAN BRADY HA
D DONE GOT DERE AN' HE TOL' DE MARSTER DAT I WUS ON HIS PLACE DE NIGHT BEFO' AN'
 DAT I GOT AWAY AN' WHEN HE TRIED TO WHUP ME AN' DE-MjRScnR2bAY tO&Hr :"&DAT W S
HIS GAME --- IF YOU HAD HIM YOU SHHOULDA WHUPPED 'IM. DAT'S DE LAW. IF YOU HAD W
HUPPED 'IM DAT WOULDA BEEN YO' GAME, BUT YOU LET 'IM GIT AWAY AN' SO DAT WUS HIS
 GAME." OL' MAN BRADY'S FACE TURNED SO RED DAT IT LOOKED LIKE HE WUS GONNA BUS'.
  WE WORKED IN DE FIEL' EVERY DAY AN' WAY rN DE NIGHT WE SHUlKED jN'2bHnLlED& OR
N. DE COOK DONE ALL DE COOKIN'. WHEN ALL OF DE MARSTER'S SEVENTY-FIVE SLAVES
WUS IN DE FIEL' DEY HAD TWO COOKS TO FEED 'EM. AT TWELVE O'CLOCK DE COOKS WOULD
BLOW A HORN AT THE STUMP IN DE YARD BACK O' DE COOK HOUSE. EVEN DE HOSSES AN' DE
 MULES KNOWED DAT HORN AN' DEY WOULDN'T GO A STEP FURTHER. yOU HAD tO TjKE DE-MU
LE OUT OF DE HARNESS AN' TAKE 'IM TO DE SPRING AN' WATER 'IM AN' DEN TAKE 'IM TO
 DE HOUSE WHERE A COLORED MAN UP DERE NAMED SAM JOHNSON HAD ALL DE FEED READY
FOR DE HOSSES. WHEN YOU GIT DERE ALL DE HOSSES GO TO DERE OWN STALLS WHERE DERE
 WUS TEN EARS O' CORN AN' ONE BUNDLE O' FODDER FOR EACH HOSS. WHILE DEM
HOSSES IS EATIN' YOU BETTER BE OUT DERE EATIN' YO' OWN. SARAH AN' ANNIE, DE COOK
S HAD A BIG WOODEN TRAY WID GREENS AN' DE MEAT CUT UP ON IT AN' YOU PASS
BY WID YO' TIN PAN AN' DEY PUT YO' MEAT ALL CUT UP ON IT ALONG WID DE GREENS
AND DEN YOU COULD EAT ANYWHERE YOU WANTED TO --- ON DE STUMP OR IN DE BIG ROAD
IF YOU WANTED TO. SOMETIMES SOME OF 'EMS MEAT WOULD GIVE OUT OR DERE BREAD WOULD
 GIVE OUT AN' DEN DEY WOULD SAY: "I'LL GIVE YOU A PIECE OF MY BREAD FOR SOME OF
YO' MEAT OR I'LL GIVE YOU SOME OF MY MEAT FOR SOME OF YO' BREAD." SOME OF 'EM WO
ULD HAVE A BIG OL' ASH CAKE AN' SOME OF 'EM WOULD HAVE JES' PLAIN CORN BREAD. DE
RE WUS USUALLY A BIG SKILLET O' POTATOES AT DE COOK HOUSE AN' WHEN YOU EAT AN'
DRINK YO' WATER DEN YO' IS READY TO GO BACK TO WORK. DEY WUS GOIN' TO LET YOU
LAY DOWN IN DE SHADE FER 'BOUT A  HOUR      BUT YOU WOULD MAKE DE TIME UP BY
WORKIN' 'TILL DARK. SOME OF 'EM WORKED SO 'TILL DEY BACK WUS GONE. DEY COULDN'T
EVEN STAND UP STRAIGHT.
SOMETIMES OL' MISSUS WOULD COME 'LONG AN' SHE WOULD BE MAD WID SOME OF DE
WOMEN AN' SHE WOULD WANT TO GO TO WHUPPIN' ON 'EM.
SOMETIMES DE WOMEN WOULDN'T TAKE IT AN' WOULD RUN AWAY AN' HIDE IN DE WOODS.
 SOMETIMES DEY WOULD COME BACK AFTER A SHORT STAY AN' DEN AGAIN DEY WOULD8HAVE T
O PUT DE HOUNDS ON DERE TRAIL TO BRING DEM BACK HOME. AS A GENERAL RULE DERE
WUSN'T MUCH WHUPPIN' ON OUR PLANTATION. 'COURSE IF YOU DIDN'T DO WHAT DEY TOL' Y
OU TO DO DEY WOULD TAKE YOU OUT AN' PUT YO' HAND ROUND A POLE AN' TIE YOU SO
YO' FEET WOULD JES' TOUCH DE GROUND AND DEN DEY WOULD GO TO WORK ON YOU
WID A COWHIDE. EVERYTIME DET HIT YOU DE BLOOD WOULD FLY WID DE WHIP.
DE CLOTHES DEN WUSNT BUT OL PLAIN WHITE CLOTH. MOST OF EM WUS PATCHED FUM DE LEG
S TO DE WAIST. SOME WAS PATCHED SO TILL DEY LOOKED LIKE A QUILT. SOME OF DE WOME
N WORE DESE LONG STRIPED COTTON DRESSES AN WHEN DEY WOULD GO IN DE FIEL DE SPANI
SH NEEDLES AN DE BURRS WOULD STICK ALL OVER EM. DE ONLY SHOES DAT YOU GOT WUS
BROGANS. IF YOU GOT ANYTHING BETTER IT WAS SOME DAT MARSTER GIVE YOU FER
BRUSHING OFF HIS SHOES AT DE HOUSE. YOU WAS SO PROUD WHEN EVER DEY GIVE YOU A PA
IR O SHOES OR A OL STRAW HAT DAT DEY WUS THROUGH WID AT DE HOUSE YOU WENT
BACK AN SHOWED IT TO EVERYBODY AN YOU WUS MIGHTY PROUD TOO. I USED TO DRIVE MY M
ARSTER'S HOSS AN BUGGY FER IM AM SO I USED TO GIT A LOTSA STUFF LIKE DAT.
OL MARSTER WUS A JUDGE AN HIS NAME WUS LUKE JOHNSON. HIS WIFE WUS NAMED BETSY AN
 HIS SONS WUS NAMED JIM, TOM, WILL, AN DORN. HIS DAUGHTERS WUS JANIE, MARY,
  CATHERINE, AND LIZZIE.  HE HAD THREE HUNDRED ACRES OF LAND AND SEVENTY-FIVE
  slAeEb.
ALL DE HOUSES ON DE PLANTATION EXCEPT OLD MARSTER'S WUS BUILT OUT OF LOGS.
OL MARSTER LIVED IN A FINE HOUSE. SOMETIMES WHEN ONE OF THE SLAVES HAD A
CHANCE TO GO INSIDE HIS HOUSE ALL DE REST OF DE SLAVES WOULD BE WAITIN OUTSIDE
FER YOU TO COME OUT. WHEN YOU DID COME OUT DEY WOULD SAY:"YOU BEEN IN DE MARSTER
'S HOUSE --- HOW DID IT LOOK IN DERE --- WHUT DID YOU SEE?" DEY WOULD TELL
EM:" YOU OUGHT TO GO IN DERE --- IT'S SO PRETTY." WHENEVER YOU GOT A CHANCE TO G
O IN DERE YOU HAD DONE PULLED OFF YO HAT LONG FORE YOU GOT TO DE DOOR.
ON SUNDAY WE WOULD TAKE SOOT OUT OF DE CHIMNEY AND WET IT AND THEN GO AND
BORROW THE
MARSTER'S SHOE BRUSH AND GO AND BRUSH OUR SHOES.  WE WERE GETTING READY TO GO TO
  CHURCH.
AT CHURCH ALL DE WHITE FOLKS WOULD SIT IN DE FRONT AND
ALL THE SLAVES WOULD SIT IN
 DE BACK. DE PREACHER WOULD PREACH AND SAY:
"OBEY YOUR MASTER AND YOUR MISSUS AND YOU
WILL ALWAYS DO RIGHT. IF YOU SEE EGGS IN DE YARD TAKE EM TO YO MISSUS OR YOUR MA
RSTER AND PUT THEM AT HER FEET.
  IF YOU DONT DO THIS SHE WILL NEEDLE YOU WELL OR
BREAK BARK OVER YOUR HEAD AND THE BAD MAN WILL GET YOU."
SOMETIMES DEY WOULD GIVE US A DOLLAR AT CHRISTMAS TIME AND
IF SOMEBODY DIDNT TAKE
  IT FUM US WE WOULD HAVE IT DE NEX CHRISTMAS CAUSE WE DIDNT HAVE NUTTIN TO
SPEND IT FOR.
     DURIN THE BIG WAR ALL THE WHITE FOLKS WAS OFF FIGHTIN EXCEPT THEM WHAT WAS
  TOO OLD OR TOO YOUNG TO FIGHT.
WHEN DE WAR BROKE OUT OL MARSTER ENLISTED AND HE TOOK ME ALONG TO WAIT ON HIM
AND                                                                            K
EEP HIS CLOTHES CLEAN. I HAD PLENTY O FUN CAUSE DERE WUSNT SO VERY MUCH WORK TO
 DO. I MEMBERS SEEIN IM FIGHTIN IN RICHMOND AN DANVILLE, VIRGINIA. I HAD A GOOD
 TIME JES WATCHIN DE SOLDIERS FIGHTIN. I DIDNT HAVE TO FIGHT ANY AT ALL. I USED
TO STAND IN DE DOOR OF DE TENT AN WATCH EM FIGHT. IT WUS TERRIBLE --- YOU COULD
 HEAR DE GUNS FIRIN AN SEE DE SOLDIERS FALLIN RIGHT AN LEFT. ALL YOU COULD
SEE WUS MEN GETTIN ALL SHOT UP. ONE DAY I SEED ONE SOLDIER GIT HIS HEAD
SHOT OFF FUM HIS BODY. OTHERS GOT ARMS AN LEGS SHOT OFF.  AN ALL DE TIME ALL YOU
 COULD HEAR WUS DE GUNS GOING
--- BAM,BAM,BAM --- IT WUS TERRIBLE TO SEE AN HEAR. ONE MORNING AS I WUS STANDIN
G AGAINST DE SIDE OF DE TENT WID MY HAND STRETCHED OUT A LOAD OF GRAPE SHOT
FUM DE GUNS HIT ME IN DE HAND AN DE BLOOD FLEW EVERYWHERE. I JES HOLLERED. IT CO
ME PRETTY NEAR SCARING ME TO DEATH. AFTER DE DOCTOR GOT IT PATCHED UP IT WUS
AS GOOD AS IT EVER WUS.
AFTER DE WAR WUS OVER OL MARSTER WUS ALL SHOT UP AND
I HAD TO TAKE HIM ON BACK
HOME. WHEN WE GOT DERE ALL DE SLAVES CROWDED ROUN ME AN WANTED TO KNOW IF DEY WA
S GONNA BE FREED OR NOT AN WHEN I TOL EM DAT DE WAR WUS OVER AN DAT DEY WUS
FREE DEY WUS ALL VERY GLAD. AFTER DE WAR A WHOLE LOTS OF EM STAYED ON DE PLANTAT
ION AN A WHOLE LOTS OF EM LEFT AS SOON AS DEY COULD GIT AWAY.
  X   XXX