ANDREW GOODMAN AGE 97 SLAVE IN ALABAMA TEXAS NO.207 I WAS BORN IN SLAVERY AND I THINK THEM DAYS WAS BETTER FOR THE NIGGERS THAN ,HE D YS WE SEE NO>. ONE THING WAS, I NEVER WAS OLD ANDHUNGRY WHEN MY OLD MA STER LIVED, AND I HAS BEEN PLENTY COLD AND HUNGRY A LOT OF TIMES SINCE HE IS GO NE. BUT SOMETIMES I THINK MARSE GOODMAN WAS THE BEST MAN GOD MADE IN A LONG TIM E. MY MOTHER, MARTHA GOODMAN, BELONGED O MARSE OB7 OODMjNWHEN SHE WAS BORN, BUT MY PAW COME FROM TENNESSEE AND MARSE BOB HIRED HrM6OM2 OMEOOF8HSKINFOLK 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 NIGGER6FA IIES S PRATE<. HE ALLOWED 8HE ,HOUGHT IT RIGHT AND FITTING THAT FOLKS STAY TOGE,HE, ,+O !H9IHEARD TELL O F SOME THAT DIDNT THINK SO. *Y MISSUS WAS JUST AS GOOD AS MARSE BO[. *Y M W6WAS A7PU)Y ITTLE6WOMAN 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 THINGS, AND SHE WOULD BRAG ON ME AND MANY IS ,HE IME9I6WOULD GET TO NODDING AND GO TO SLEEP, AND SHE WOULD PICK ME UP AND PUT ME IN BED WITH HER CHILLUN. MRSE BOB DIDNT PUT HIS LITTLE NGGERS9IN ,HE6 IELDS ILL ,H(YWAS 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 \HELI G RN ND ,(EWOMEN 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 K ITTED WEAT RS AND K ITTED OCK\. MY PAW WAS A SHOEMAKER. HE WOULD TAKE A CAL+HIDE AND MAKE \+OESWITH THE H AIRY SIDES TURNED IN, AND THEY WAS WARM AND KEPT YOUR FEET DRY. MY MAW SPENT & LOT OF TIME CARDING AND SPINNING WOOL, AND I ALWAYS8HAD7PLEN,Y ,HI G\. LIFE WAS PRETTY FINE WITH MARSE BOB. HE WAS A MAN OF PLENTY. 8HE8HAD 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 .HICKENS AND VEGETABLES, AND MOST A)Y,HING A)Y OH RE ,H(YHAD NIGGER DRIVER S 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 O,HER PLACE\, AND USED O R N3,(nMFOR 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 TERRIBLY LONG TIME. THEN HE TOOK A BIG, PINE TORCH AND LET BURNING PITCH DROP 9IN SPOTS ALL OVER HIM. OLD CHARLIE WAS SICK ABOUT FOUR MON,HS AND ,HENHE DIE D. MARSE BOB KNOWED ME BETTER THAN MOST THE SLAVES, CAUSE I WAS ROUND 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 WANT EVERYTHING TO GO ON, JUST LIKE I WAS HERE. NOW, YOU ALL MIND6>HAT N RE W SAYS, CAUSE IF YOU DONT, I'LL MAKE IT ROUGH ON YOU WHEN I COME BACK HOME." HE WAS JOI !, ,HO !H, CAUSE8HE WOULDNT8HAVE ONE O, I G O ,HE*. THEN HE SAID TO ME,"ANDREW, YOU IS OLD ENOUGH TO BE A MAN AND OOK FT R ,H 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 WAS7 ONE6FO RYEARS. 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 SLAVE\.8HE6WAS IT I GIN 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 LIK(!" 8HE OULDNTHELP BUT C RY. ,HE GGERS CY AND DONT MU.H KNOW6>HAT MRSE OB \. ,((YIS SORRY ABO UT THE FREEDOM, CAUSE THEY DONT KNOW WHERE TO GO,AND THEY HAD ALWAYS DEPENDEN ON OLD MARSE TO LOOK AFTER THEM. THREE FAMILIES WENT TO GET FARMS FOR THEMSELVES, BUT THE REST JUST STAYED ON FOR HANDS ON ,HE6OLD7PLAC(. THE FEDERALS HAS BEEN COMING BY, EVEN BEFORE OLD MARSE OMEHOME. THEY ALL COME BY, CARRYING THEY LITTLE BUDGETS, AND IF THEY WAS WALKING THEY WOULD LOOK IN THE STABLES FOR A HORSE OR MULE, AND THEY JUST TOOK6WHAT ,H(Y6WjNTED6OF RN 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. WHnN THEY6fjNT OLEAVE 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 FjRM-ON A Hj FjNCE6WI,H8HrM& nD3 H 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 RASCjLITY I EenRH(EjrDOF 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 SHrPPED IT jLL WAY,2BUT jLL HE EVnR GAVE S6f S&ABOX 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 BY6WHAT ,HE7 OOmMj S8HAD2SI<. 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 THEOOLDPLACE, 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 CANT6wOK EVnNN O>,3, O 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 OLD-L E9I ;,OR HAVE TO PAY RENT. I WAS BORN IN SLAVERY AND I THINK THEM DAYS WAS BETTnR oOR THENIGGERS THAN THE DAYS WE SEE-NOW. -ONE THrNG W S, INEVER WAS COLD AND HUNGRY WHEN MY OLD MA STER LIVED, AND I HAS BEEN PLENTY COLD AND HUNGRY A LOT OF TIMES SINCE HE IS GO NE. BUT SOMETIMES I THINK MARSE GOODMAN WAS THE BEST MAN GOD MADE IN A LONG TIM E. -MY-MOTHnR,-MjRTHA pOOmMjN, BnLOnGED tOMARSE BOB GOODMAN WHEN SHE WAS BORN, BUT MY PAW COME FROM TENNESSEE AND MARSE BOB HrRED HrMFOMSOME 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 FjMrLI S2bnpjrAcED. &(E& L OfED HE THOUGHT IT RIGHT AND FITTING THAT FOLKS STAY TOGETHER, THOUGH I8HEjrD3 LLO F SOME THAT DIDNT THINK SO. MY MISSUS WAS JUST AS GOOD AS MARSE BOB. MY MAW WAS A-PuNYLITTLE 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 cHE2Scn S&jnD&mO cHrn S,&jnD2bHE wOulDBkr GON ME AND MANY IS THE TIME 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 WEATHE, LrKE2\HnLLr G ORN AND THE WOMEN COULD SPIN AND KNIT. THEY MADE US PLENTY OF GOOD C O,H \. N SUMMER WE WORE LONG SHIRTS, SPLIT UP THE SIDES, MADE OUT OF LOWERINGS -- THAT IS SAME AS COTTON SACKS WAS MADE OUT OF. IN WINTnR WE HAD&pOoDJEANS AND KNITTED SWEATERS AND KNITTED SOCKS. MY PAW WAS A SqOnMjKnR. HE wOuLD T KE A&C +HI E& nDMAKE SHOES WITH THE H AIRY SIDES TURNED IN, AND THEY WAS WARM AND KEPT YOUR FEET DRY. MY MAW SPENT & 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 lOuLD sK6oO . 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 ORNI G jND O E3 OPREACH 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 oROLIC . 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. -MjSEB BGG e E S CHICHKENS OR KILLED A FRESH BEEF OR LET US-MjKE-MOLASS S CjNDh. 6fE& O lDCHOOS 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 oOR THE HjrD6wOK&rN THE FALL. CHRISTMAS TIME EVERYBODY GOT A PRESENT AND MARSE kOB GIVE A BIG qOG tO EVERY FOUR FAMILIES. WE HAD MONEY TO BUY WHISKEY WITH. IN SPARE TIME WE WOULD -MjKE lOR SHUlK qORSE lOLLjRS jND jLLKKrN SOF 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 rN THE2Su) jnD3 (nNWEAVE IT INTO COTTON BASKETS AND FISH BASKETS AND LITTLE FANCY BAsKETS. cHEMEN SPENT THEIR MONEY ON WHISKEY, CAUSE EVERYTHING ELSE WAS FURNISHED. WE-RAISED-OuROWN 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. COURSE, WE USED TO HEAR ABOUT OTHER PLACES WHERE 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 THnM GETTrNGNEAR, TAKE TO A TREE." B UT MARSE BOB NEVER HAD NO NIGGERS RUN OFF. -OLD MjN BRISCOLL, WHO HAD A PLACE-NEXT tOOURS, 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 qOME, HE TIED&HrM&jnDBBEATHIM FOR A TERRIBLY LONG TIME. THEN HE TOOK A BIG, PINE TORCH AND LET BuRNrNG-pIcCH&OP IN SPOTS ALL OVER HIM. OLD CHARLIE WAS SICK AkOUT oOuR-MONTHS&jnD cHnN&HE&DIE D. MARSE BOB KNOWED ME BETTER THAN MOST THE SLAVES, CAUSE I WAS ROUND THE qOUS 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 WANT EVERYTHING TO GO ON, JUST LIKE I WAS HERE. NOW, YOU ALL-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 THnM. 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. WHnN OLD MISSUS HEARD FROM HIM, SHE WOULD CALL ALL THE sLAV S&jnD cnLL S HENEWS 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. 6>HEN MARSE OB OME8+OM(,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 AkO UT THE FREEDOM, CAUSE THEY DONT KNOW WHERE TO GO,AND THEY HAD ALWAYS DEPENDEN ON OLD MARSE TO LOOK AFTER THEM. THREE FAMILIES WENT TO GET FARMS6FOR ,Hn Sn V \, 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 jLL OME2[Y, CjR I G ,H(Y LITTLE BU GE \, NDIF THEY WAS WALKING THEY WOULD LOOK IN THE STABLES FOR A HORSE OR MULE, AND THEY JUST TOOK >HAT ,H(YWANTED OF CORN OR LIVESTOCK. THEY DONE THE SAME AFTER MARSE BOB COME HOME. HE JUST SAI<, "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. WHnN cHEY6fjNT OLEAVE THE PLACE, THEY STILL GO UP TO THE BIG HOUSE oOR A-PASS. cHEYJUST CANT UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE FREEDOM. OLD MARSE OR MISSUS SAY,:YOU DONT NEED NO-PASS. jLL yOU GOT TO DO IS JUST TAKE YOUR FOOT IN YOUR HAND AND GO." IT SEEM LIKE THE WAR JUST-PLuMB kROKE-OLDMARSE UP. IT WASNT LONG TILL HE MOVED INTO TYLER AND LEFT MY PAW RUNNING THE FARM ON A HALFANCE WITH HrM jnD cH 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 EVnR&HEjrDOF 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 CjnDY&jnD&ASACK 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 pOommj S&HADSAID. 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 oROM THE-OLDPLACE, A ND PAW LIVED TO BE 102 AND MAW 106. I'M THE LAST ONE OF MY FOLKS. FOR TWnNTY YEjRS-MY HEjLTH ArNT2BEnN2sO& Oo<,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 lOLD-LrKE I& O,OR HAVE TO PAY RENT.