HENRY LEWIS, BORN 1835 IN TEXAS. SLAVE IN TEXAS. TEXAS#222. OLD BOB CADE, HE WAS MY MASSA, AND ANNIE CADE, SHE MY MISSUS. THEY HAD A BIG PLANTATION OVER IN LOUISIANA AND ANOTHER IN JEFFERSON COUNTY, OUT AT PINE ISLAND. IF I LIVE TO SEE NEXT CHRISTMAS DAY AGAIN, I'LL BE ONE HUNDRED AND TWO YEARS OLD. MY MAMMY SHE CAME FROM MISSISSIPPI AND HER NAME WAS JUDY LWEIS. WASHINGTON LEWIS, ONE OF THE SLAVES ON MASS BOB'S POUISIANA PLANTATION, HE WAS MY DADDY. I CAN'T REMEMBER NOBODY ELSE EXCEPT MY GREATGRAMMA, PATSY. SHE WAS ONE HUNDRED THREE YEARS OLD WHEN SHE DIED. SHE LOOKED AWFUL, BUT THEN SHE WAS MY FOLKS. MY OWN DEAR MAMMY WAS ONE HUNDRED TWELVE YEARS OLD WHEN SHE DIED. SHE HAD TEN CHILDREN AND THE BIGGEST PORTION OF THEM WERE BORN IN SLAVERY TIME. THERE ARE TWO SISTERS OLDER THAN I AM, MANDY AND LOUISE. I WAS NAMED AFTER MY DADDY'S BROTHER, HENRY LEWIS. MY WHITE FOLKS HAVE A PLANTATION IN LOUISIANA, AT CAGINLY, AND STAYED OVER THERE MOST OF THE TIME. I REMEMBER WHEN OLD MASSA BOB USED TO COME TO PINE ISLAND TO STAY A MONTH OR TWO, ALL US LITTLE CHILDREN GATHERED ROUND HIM AND HE USED TO THROW OUT TWO BITSES AND BIG ONE CENT PIECES AMONGST US, JUST TO SEE US SCRAMBLE FOR THEM. WHEN CHRISTMAS TIME CAME AROUND THEY GAVE US CHRISTMAS GI FTS AND A WHOLE WEEK FOR HOLIDAY. I NEVER BEEN NO NEARER EAST THAN LAKE CHARLES AND THAT BEEN LATELY,SO I AIN 'T NEVER SEEN THE OLD PLANTATION. AT PINE ISLAND WE HAVE THE BIG WOODS PLACE WI TH ONE HUNDRED WORKING HANDS, WITHOUT THE CHILDREN. ALL THE NIGGERS SAY CADE A GOOD MAN. HE HIRED HIS OVERSEERS AND SAID:"YOU CAN CORRECT THEM FOR THEI R OWN GOOD AND MAKE THEM WORK RIGHT, BUT YOU HAD BETTER NOT CUT THEIR HIDE OR DRAW ANY BLOOD." HE GOT AHOLD OF SOME MEAN OVERSEERS BUT THEY DIDN'T TARRY LONG . HE FOUND OUT THEY WAS BEATING THE NIGGERS AND THEN HE BEAT THEM AND SAY, "HOW DOES THAT SUIT YOU?" OLD MASSA WAS A BIG, STOCKY IRISHMAN WITH SANDY HAIR AND HE DIDN'T HAVE NO BEARD OR MUSTACHE. WHEN HE GREW OLD HE HAVE THE GOUT AND HE PUT A LONG MATTRESS OUT ON THE GALLERY AND LAID ON IT. HE SAID:"COME HERE, MY LITTLE NIGGERS." AND THEN HE MADE US RUB HIS FEET SO HE COULD GET TO SLEEP. THEY USED TO HAVE OLD SLAVERY DAY JUDGE AND JURY OF WHITE FOLKS AND THEY WOULD HEAR THE CASE AND DECIDE HOW MANY LASHES TO GIVE THE DARKY. THEY PUT THE LASH ON THEM, BUT THEY NEVER PUT THEM IN JAIL. I SAW SOME SLAVES IN CHAINS AND I HEARD OF ONE MASSA THAT HAD A PLACE IN A FENCE WITH A HOLE CUT-OUT oOR THE NIGGER'S NECK. THEY HOIST UP THE BOARD AND THE NIGGER PUT HIS HEAD THROUGH TH E HOLE AND THEN THEY BEAT HIM WITH A LASH WITH HOLES BORED IN IT AND EVERY HOLE RAISED A BLISTER. THEN HE BUSTED THEM BLISTERS WITH A HANDSAW AND THEY PUT SALT AND PEPPER IN A WATER BUCKET AND ANOINTED THEM BLISTERS WITH THE MOP DIPPED IN THE WATER. THEY DO THAT WHEN THEY WERE IN A PARTICULARLY BAD HUMOR, IF THE NIGGER HADN'T CHOPPED ENOUGH COTTON OR CORN. SOMETIME AN OVERSEER KILLED A NIG GER, AND THEY DON'T DO ANYTHING TO HIM EXCEPT MAKE HIM PAY FOR THE NIGGER. BUT OUR MASSA WAS GOOD. OLD MASSA ALLOWED US TO PRAISE GOD BUT LOTS OF MASSAS DIDN'T ALLOW THEIR SL AVES TO GET ON THEIR KNEES. WE HAD A CHURCH HOUSE AND THE WHITE FOLKS WENT IN T HE MORNING AND WE WENT AFTER DINNER. US USED TO SING:"MY KNEE BONES ACHING, MY BODY'S RACKING WITH PAIN, I CALLS MYSELF THE CHILD OF GOD, HEAVEN IS MY AIM. IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE I AM A CHILD OF GOD, JUST MEET ME ON THAT OTHER SHORE, HEAV EN IS MY HOME. I CALLS MYSELF A CHILD OF GOD, I AM A LONG TIME ON MY WAY,BUT HE AVEN IS MY HOME." OLD MASSA HAVE THE HOUSE MADE OUT OF HAND SAWN PLANKS IN SLAVERY TIME. IT WAS PUT TOGETHER WITH HOMEMADE NAILS, THOSE SPIKED, SQUARE NAILS THEY MADE THEMS ELVES. IT HAD A LONG GALLERY ON IT. THE SLAVES HAVE LITTLE LOG CABIN HOUSES WI TH A MUD-CAT CHIMNEY ON THE SIDE AND THE FURNITURE MOSTLY GEORGIA HORSES FOR BEDS AND MATTRESSES MADE OUT OF TOW SACKS. THERE WAS NO FLOOR IN THOSE HOUS ES, EXCEPT WHAT GOD PUT IN THEM. WHEN I WAS SIX OR SEVEN YEARS OLD THEY DECIDED I WAS BIG ENOUGH TO START RIDING HORSES. THEY HAD A BIG CATTLE RANCH AND I RODE ALL OVER THIS TERRITORY. I WAS TOO LITTLE TO GET ON THE HORSE AND THEY LIFTED ME UP, jND THEY HAD AREAL SADDLE FOR ME TOO. I COULDN'T GET UP, BUT I SURE COULD STAY UP WHEN I GOT THERE. I WAS JUST LIKE A HORSE FLY. BEAUMON T WAS JUST A BRIARPATCH AT THAT TIME. JUST ONE LITTLE STORE AND ON E BLACKSMITH SHOP, AND MASSA JOHN HERRING OWNED THAT. THAT WAS THE WAY I FIRST SAW MY WIFE, RIDING THE RANGE. THE CADE BRAND WAS A LAZY RC THAT WAS REGISTERE D BEFORE I WAS BORN. WE BRANDED FROM THE FIRST OF MARCH TO THE FIFTEENTH OF DEC EMBER. OLD MASSA HAD A BIG FIELD DIVIDED INTO TRACTS AND EACH SLAVE COULD HAVE A P ART AND RAISE WHAT HE WANTED, AND OLD MASSA BOUGHT THE CROP FROM THE SLAVE. HE WAS PRETTY GOOD TO HIS SLAVES, AND WE HAD GOOD CLOTHES, TOO, WOOL FOR WINTER AND COTTON FOR SUMMER. WE HAD SIX SUITS A YEAR, UNDERWEAR AND ALL. THERE WAS A TRU NK LIKE IN THE CABIN FOR SUNDAY CLOTHES AND THE REST WERE HUNG ON A PEG. WE HAD PLENTY OF GOOD FOOD TO EAT, TOO. BEEF AND HOGS AND BACON AND SYRUP AND SUGAR AND FLOUR WAS PLENTY. ALL THE POSSUMS AND RABBITS AND FISH AND SUCH W AS JUST THAT MUCH MORE. HE GAVE US A BARREL OF WHISKEY EVERY YEAR, TOO. THEY ALLOWED THE LITTLE CHILDREN LOTS OF PLAYTIME AND NO HARD WORK. WE PLA YED STICK HORSE AND SEVEN UP MARBLE GAME WITH MARBLES WE MADE AND THE WELL GAME. THE GIRL OR BOY SAT IN A CHAIR AND LEANED WAY BACK AND PRETENDED LIKE THEY WER E IN A WELL. THEY SAID THEY WERE SO MANY FEET DOWN AND SAID:"WHO DO YOU WANT TO PULL YOU OUT?" AND THE ONE YOU WANT TO PULL YOU OUT, THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO KIS S YOU. THERE USED TO BE NIGGER TRADERS WHO CAME THROUGH THE COUNTRY WITH A HERD OF NIGGERS, JUST LIKE CATTLEMEN WITH A HERD OF CATTLE. THEY FIXED CAMP AND THE PE N ON THE RIDGE OF TOWN AND PEOPLE WHO WANTED TO BUY MORE SLAVES WENT THERE. THE Y HAD A BLOCK AND MADE THE SLAVES GET UP ON THAT. MAYBE ONE MAN WOULD SAY, "I GIVE YOU TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS," AND WHEN THEY WERE THROUGH THE SLAVE WAS SOLD TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER. OLD MASSA WARNED US TO LOOK OUT AND NOT LET THE TRADER CATCH US, BECAUSE A TRADER WOULD JUST AS SOON STEAL A NIGGER AND SELL HIM. THE PATROLLERS CAME ROUND BEFORE THE WAR TO SEE IF THE MASSA TREATED THErR SLAVES GOOD. MY WIFE'S GRAMMA SAID THEY CAME ROUND TO HER MASSA'S PLACE, BUT BEFORE THEY GOT THERE HE TOOK A MEAT SKIN AND MADE THE SLAVES RUB IT ROUND T HEIR MOUTHES AND GET THEIR FACE ALL GREASY SO IT LOOKED LIKE THEY HAD PLENTY TO EAT AND HE TOLD THEM THEY HAD BETTER TELL THE PATROLLERS THEY WERE GETTING PL ENTY TO EAT. BUT THERE WAS ONE BIG NIGGER AND HE SAID,"HELL, NO, HE AIN'T GIVE US ENOUGH TO EAT." THEN THAT NIGGER SAID,"PLEASE TAKE ME WITH YOU, BECAUSE IF Y OU DON'T MASSA IS GOING TO KILL ME WHEN YOU GO." OLD MASSA DIED BEFORE THE WAR AND THEN HIS SON, JOHN CADE, TOOK OVER, AND H IS BROTHERS HELPED. THEIR NAMES WERE VVERTON AND TAYLOR AND BOB. WE ALL WANTED TO GET FREE AND TALKED ABOUT IT IN THE QUARTERS AMONG OURSELVES, BUT WE DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING WHERE THE WHITE FOLKS COULD HEAR US. WHEN THE WAR CAME ON I SAW SOLDIERS EVERY DAY. THEY HAD A CAMP IN LIBERTY AND I WATCHED THEM. I HEARD THE GUNS, TOO, MAYBE AT SABINE PASS, BUT I DIDN'T S EE NO ACTUAL FIGHTING. THAT WAS A LONG YEAR TO WAIT, THE LAST YEAR OF THE WAR. THEY SENT THE PAPERS DOWN ON MARCH 15, I HEARD, BUT THEY DIDN'T TURN US LOOSE T HEN. THIS WAS THE LAST STATE TO TURN THE SLAVES FREE. WHEN THEY DIDN'T LET THE M GO IN MARCH, THE YANKEE SOLDIERS COME IN JUNE AND MADE THEM LET US GO. THE NEXT MORNING AFTER THE SOLDIERS CAME, THE OVERSEER READ THE PAPERS OUT AND S AID WE WERE FREE AS HE WAS AND WE COULD GO. SOME STAYED ON THE OLD PLACE A LONG TIME AND SOME WENT OFF. YOU KNOW THEY WERE JUST SLAVES AND WEREN'T CIVILIZED. SOME DIDN'T EVER GET CIVILIZED YET. OLD MASSA NEVER GAVE US NOTHING, BUT HE TO LD US WE COULD STAY ON IF WE WANTED, BUT I LEFT. I WENT DOWN CLOSE TO ANAHUAC AND BUILT A LITTLE LOG CABIN AT MONROE CITY, A ND THAT IS WHERE THEY ARE PUTTING IN OIL WELLS NOW. WASHINGTON LEWIS, THAT MY D AY AY ADDY, HE HAD ONE HUNDRED TWENTY NINE ACRES THERE. THE WHITE FOLKS SAID TO SI GN THE PAPER AND LET THEM PUT THE WELL ON IT AND THEY GAVE US FIFTY DOLLARS AND WE SIGNED THAT PAPER AND THEY HAVE THE LAND. I MARRIED IN SLAVERY TIME, WHEN I WAS ABOUT 22 YEARS OLD. MY FIRST WIFE WA S NAMED RACHEL AND SHE LIVED ON DOUBLE BAYOU. SHE BELONGED TO THE MAYES' PLACE. I SAW HER WHEN I WAS RIDING THE RANGE FOR MASSA BOB. I TOLD MASSA I WANTED TO GET MARRIED AND HE MADE ME ASK MASSA MAYES AND US HAD A BIG WEDDING. SHE WAS DRESSED ALL IN WHITE. I HAD A NICE HAT AND SUIT OF BLACK CLOTHES jND DADDY f S A SHOEM AKER AND MADE ME A GOOD PAIR OF SHOES TO GET MARRIED IN. WE STOOD IN F RONT OF MASSA MAYES AND HE READ OUT OF THE BIBLE. WE HAD A REAL BIG SUPPER AND SOME OF THE WHITE FOLKS GAVE US MONEY. THE FIRST MONEY I MADE WAS WORKING FOR THE GOVERNMENT IN GALVESTON. AFTER THE WAR THE GOVERNMENT HIRED FOLKS TO CLEAN UP THE TRASH THAT THE FIGHTING HAD MADE AND I WAS HIRED. THERE WAS LOTS OF WOOD AND STONES AND BRICK AND TREES AN D SUCH THEM BIG GUNS KNOCHED DOWN. I WENT BACK TO RIDING THE PRAIRIE AND RIDES TILL I WAS NINETY FOUR YEARS OLD. I STOPPED THE SAME YEAR MISTER JOE HEBERT DIED. WHEN I QUIT I WAS OUT WORKING, TENDING MISTER LANGHAM'S CHICKENS AND I FORGOT IT WAS CHRISTMAS AND MY BIRTHDAY TILL MISTER LANGHAM CAME RIDING OUT WITH MY MONEY. THAT WAS THE LAST WORK I DONE AND THAT WAS IN 1931 WHEN I WAS NINETY FOUR YEARS OLD. I BET THESE NINETEEN HUNDRED NIGGERS AIN'T GOING TO LIVE THAT LONG. I DIDN'T HAVE ANY CHILDREN BY MAY FIRST WIFE AND SHE HAS BEEN DEAD ABOUT SEVENTY YEARS NOW. MY LAST WIFE IS NAMED CHARLOTTE AND SHE BEEN DEAD TWENTY TWO YEARS AND WE HAD SIXTEEN CHILDREN. THERE WERE SIX GIRLS AND TEN BOYS AND TEN A RE LIVING NOW. MOST OF THEM ARE TOO OLD TO WORK NOW. I STAY WITH ADA, HERE, AN D SHE HAS GOT A GIFT. SHE KNOWS WHAT KIND OF HERD IS GOOD FOR MEDICINE FOR DIFFERENT AILMENTS. SHE WAS BORN WITH A VEIL OVER THE FACE AND IS WISE TO THOSE THINGS. THERE IS THE FEVER WEED AND THE DEVIL'S SHOESTRING, AND FLEAWEED CURES NEURALGY AND TOOTHACHE. SPANISH MULBERRY ROOT, THAT IS GOOD FOR KIDNEYS. WHEN ANYBODY GET SWOLLEN FEET GIVE HIM WILD GRAPEVINE. PRICKLY ASH BARK IS GO OD FOR THAT, TOO. RED OAK BARK IS GOOD FOR WOMEN'S TROUBLES AND PUMPKIN HEAD FOR THE HEART. CAMPHOR AND ASAFOETIDA IN THE BAG ROUND YOUR NECK IS GOOD FOR TH E HEART. WHEN A CHILD GETS CONVULSIONS MAKE IT DRINK A LITTLE BLUEING. THAT IS GOOD FOR GROWN UP FOLKS, TOO. IT IS GOOD FOR BURNS, TOO.