FLEMING CLARK  AGE - 74;        OHIO #128.
     MY FATHER'S NAME WAS FLEMING CLARK AND MY MOTHER'S NAME WAS EMMALINE lLj].
 BOTH OF THEM WAS BORN IN SLAVERY.  THEIR MASS 'S NAMEWAS DAVID BOWERS.  I DON'
T KNOW WHERE THEY CAME FROM BUT THEY MOVED TO BAD CREEK AFTER SLAVERY DAYS.
  THERE WERE THREE OF US CHILDREN.  CHARLES, THE OLDEST, THEN ANTHONY NEXT AND T
HEN ME, THE YOUNGEST.  I WAS WORKING FOR A WHITE MAN AND WAS OLD ENOUGH TO DRIVE
 COWS AND WORK IN THE TOBACCO FIELDS, PICKING WORMS OFF THE LEAVES.  THE OTHER B
ROTHERS WORKED WITH MY FATHER ON ANOTHER PLANTATION.  THE HOUSE WHERE I LIVED
WITH THE WHITE MASSA LEWIS NORTHSINGE AND HIS MISSUS WAS A LOG HOUSE WITH JUST T
WO ROOMS.  I HAD JUST A LITTLE STRAW TICK AND A COT THAT THE MASSA MADE HIMSELF
AND I HAD A COMMON QUILT THAT THE MISSUS MADE TO COVER ME.
     I HEAR THAT MY GRANDMOTHER DIED DURING SLAVERY AND THAT MY GRANDFATHnR6W S
 KILLED BY HIS MASSA DURING SLAVERY.
     ON SUNDAY I WOULD GO HOME AND STAY WITH-MY FATHnR jNDMOTHER AND TWO BROTHE
RS.  WE WOULD PLAY AROUND WITH BALL AND MARBLES.  WE HAD NO SCHOOL OR CHURCH.  W
E WERE TOO FAR AWAY FOR CHURCH.
     I EARNED NO MONEY.  ALL I GOT WAS JUST MY FOOD AND CLOTHES.  I WAS LEASED O
UT TO MY MASSA AND MISSUS.  I ATE CORN BREAD, FAT HOG MEAT AND DRANK BUTTER MILK
.  SOMETIMES MY FATHER WOULD CATCH POSSUM AND MY MOTHER WOULD COOK THEM, AND BRI
NG ME OVER A PIECE.  I USED TO EAT RABBIT AND FISH.  THEY USED TO GO FISHING IN
THE CREEK.  I LIKED RABBIT AND GROUNDHOG.  THE FOOD WASBOILED AND ROASTED IN THE
 OVEN.  THE SLAVES HAVE A LITTLE PATCH FOR A GARDEN AND THEY WORK IT MOSTLY AT
NIGHT WHEN IT WAS MOONLIGHT.
    WE WORE JEANS AND SHIRTS OF YELLOW COTTON, WE WORE NO SHOES UP TILL CHRISTMA
S.  I WORE JUST THE SAME DURING THE SUMMER EXCEPT A LITTLE COAT.  WE HAD NO UNDE
R SHIRT LIKE WE HAVE NOW.  WE WORE THE SAME ON SUNDAY.  THERE WAS NO SUNDAY SUIT
.
     THE MASSA AND MISSUS HAD ONE BOY.  THE BOY WAS MUCH-OLDnR THAT I WAS.  cHEY
 WERE ALL KIND TO ME.  I REMEMBER PLENTY POOR WHITE CHILDREN.  IREMEMBER WrLL jN
D JOHN NATHAN.  THEY WERE POOR WHITE PEOPLE.
     MY MASSA HAD THREE PLANTATIONS.  HE HAD FIVE SLAVES ON ONE AND FOUR ON
ANOTHER.  I WORKED ON ONE WITH FOUR SLAVES.  MY FATHER WORKED ON ONE WITH MY BRO
THER AND MOTHER.  WE WOULD WAKE UP AT FOUR AND FIVE OCLOCK AND DO CHORES IN THE
BARN BY LAMPLIGHT.  THE OVER WOULD RING A BELL IN THE YARD, IF IT WAS NOT TOO
COLD TO GO OUT.  IF IT WAS TOO COLD HE WOULD COME AND KNOCK ON THE DOOR.  IT
WAS EIGHT OR NINE OCLOCK BEFORE WE CAME IN AT NIGHT.  THEN WE HAVE TO MILK THE C
OWS TOO BEFORE WE HAVE SUPPER.
     THE SLAVES WERE PUNISHED FOR COMING IN TOO SOON AND UNHITCHING THE qORS S.
THEY WOULD BEND THEM ACROSS A BARREL AND SWITCH THEM AND THEN SEND THEM BACK TO
 THE FIELDS.
     I HEARD THEM SAY THEY SWITCH THE BLOOD OUT OF THEM AND SALT THE WOUND;
THEN THEY COULD NOT WORK THE NEXT DAY.
     I SAW SLAVES SOLD.  THEY WOULD STAND ON A BLOCK AND MnN6wOuLD2BIDFOR THEM.
  THE HIGHEST BIDDER BOUGHT THE SLAVES.  I SAW THEM TRAVEL IN GROUPS, NOT CHAINE
D, ONE WHITE MAN IN FRONT AND ONE IN BACK.  THEY LOOKED LIKE CATTLE.
     THE WHITE FOLKS NEVER LEARNED ME TO READ OR WRITE.
     THERE WERE PATROLS.  THEY WERE MEAN IF THEY CATCH YOU OUT LATE AT NIGHT.
IF A SLAVE WAS OUT LATE AT NIGHT HE HAD TO HAVE A NOTICE FROM HIS MASSA.  THERE
WAS TROUBLE IF THE SLAVES WERE OUT LATE AT NIGHT OR IF THEY RUN OFF TO ANOTHER
MAN.
     THE SLAVES WORKED ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON.  THEY STAY IN THE CABr S-ON2SATurD
AY NIGHTS AND SUNDAYS.  WE WORKED ON NEW YEARS DAY.  THE MASSA WOULD GIVE US A L
ITTLE HARD CIDER ON CHRISTMAS DAY.  THEY WOULD GIVE A BIG SUPPER AT CORN HUSKING
OR COTTON PICKING AND GIVE A LITTLE PLAY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
     I REMEMBER TWO WEDDINGS.  THEY HAD CHICKEN, AND MUTTON TO EAT AND CORN BREA
D.  THEY ALL GANGED ROUND THE TABLE.  THERE WAS MILK AND BUTTER.  I REMEMBER ONE
 WEDDING OF THE WHITE PEOPLE.  I MADE THE ICE CREAM FOR THEM.  I REMEMBER-PLAYrN
G MARBLES AND BALL.
     SOMETIMES A RACER SNAKE WOULD RUN AFTER US, WRAP ROUND US AND WHIP US WITH
ITS TAIL.  THE FIRST ONE I REMEMBER GOT AFTER ME IN THE RRCHARD.  HE WRAPPED RIG
HT ROUND ME AND WHIPPED ME WITH HIS TAIL.
     MY MOTHER TOOK CARE OF THE SLAVES WHEN THEY WERE SIlK.  yOU HAD tOBBEAWFUL
 SICK IF THEY DIDN'T MAKE  YOU GO OUT.  THEY MADE THEIR OWN MEDICrNE rN TqOSE
DAYS.  WE USED ASAFETIDA AND PUT A PIECE IN A BAG AND HUNG IT ROUND OUR NECKS.
IT WAS SUPPOSED TO KEEP US FROM KETCHING DISEASES FROM ANYONE ELSE.
     WHEN FREEDOM COME THEY WERE ALL SHOUTING AND I RUN TO MY MOTHER AND ASKED H
ER WHAT IT WAS ALL ABOUT.  THE WHITE MAN SAID YOU ARE ALL FREE AND CAN GO. I
REMEMBER THE YANKEE SOLDIER COMING THROUGH THE WHEAT FIELD.
     MY PARENTS LIVED VERY LIGHT THE FIRST YEAR AFTER THE6WAR. 6WE-LIVED rN ALO
G CABIN.  THE WHITE MAN HELPED THEM A LITTLE.  MY FATHER WENT TO WORK MAKING
CHARCOAL.  THERE WAS NO SCHOOL FOR NEGROES AND NO LAND THAT I REMEMBER.
     I MARRIED ALICE THOMPSON.  SHE WAS EIGHTEEN AND I WAS TWENTY EIGHT.  WE
HAD A LITTLE WEDDING DOWN IN BUSHANNON, VIRGINIA.  A BAPTIST PREACHER NAMED SHIR
LEY MARRIED US.  THERE WERE ABOUT A DOZEN AT THE WEDDING.  WE HAD A LITTLE DANCI
NG AND BANJO PLAYING.  I HAD TWO CHILDREN BUT THEY DIED AND MY WIFE DIED A LONG,
 LONG TIME AGO.
     I JUST HEARD A LITTLE ABOUT ABRAHAM LINCOLN.  I BELIEVE HE WAS A GOOD MAN.
 I JUST HAD A SLIGHT REMEMBERANCE OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND JEFFERSON DAVIS.  I HAV
E HEARD OF BOOKER T. WASHINGTON, FELT JUST THE SAME ABOUT HIM.  A PRETTY GOOD MA
N.
     I THINK IT WAS A GREAT THING THAT SLAVERY ENDED, I WOULD NOT LIKE TO SEE IT
 NOW.
     I JOINED THE BAPTIST CHURCH BUT I HAVE BEEN RUNNING AROUND FROM PLACE TO PL
ACE.  WE ALWAYS PROSPER AND GET ALONG WITH OUR FELLOWMEN IF WE ARE RELIGIOUS.
     THE OVERSEER WAS POOR WHITE TRASH.  HIS RULES WERE YOU HAD tO2BEOUT ON THE
 PLANTATION BEFORE DAYLIGHT.  SOMETIMES WE HAD TO SIT ROUND ON THE FENCE TO WAIT
 FOR DAYLIGHT AND WE DID NOT GO IN BEFORE DARK.  WE GO IN ABOUT-ONE oOR-MEjLS.
  X   XXX