SIMUEL RIDDICK                   - NC/#
     "MY NAME IS SIMUEL RIDDICK.  I WAS BORN THE FOURTH DAY FEBRUjRY, 1841. MY
OWNERS, MY WHITE PEOPLE, MY OLD MISTRESS WROTE ME A LETTER TELLING ME MY AGE.  M
Y MOTHER WAS NANCY RIDDICK; SHE BELONGED TO THE RIDDICKS IN THE EASTERN PART OF
THE STATE.  MY FATHER WAS NAMED ELISHA RIDDICK.  MY MASTER WAS NAMED ELISHA AND
MY  MISTRESS SARAH RIDDICK.  THEY HAD THREE DAUGHTERS, SARAH, CHRISTINE, AND MAR
Y, ONE BOY NAMED ASBURY RIDDICK.

     "I WAS BORN IN PERQUIMANS COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA AND I HAVE LIVED IN NORTH
CAROLINA ALL MY LIFE.  WE HAD GOOD FOOD, FOR MARSTER WAS A HEAVY FARMER.  THERE
WERE ABOUT 200 ACRES CLEARED ON THE PLANTATION, AND ABOUT 25 SLAVES.  THE GREAT
HOUSE WAS WHERE MARSTER LIVED AND THE QUARTERS WAS WHERE WE LIVED.  THEY WERE NE
AR THE GREAT HOUSE.  I SAW ONLY ONE SLAVE WHUPPED.  I HAD MIGHTY FINE WHITE PEOP
LE, YES, MIGHTY FINE WHITE PEOPLE.  THEY DID NOT WHUP THEIR SLAVES, BUT THEIR SO
N WHUPPED MY MOTHER PRETTY BAD BECAUSE SHE DID NOT BALE ENOUGH CORN AND TURNIPS
TO FEED THE FATTENING HOGS.

     "HE WAS A RANG TANG.  HE LOVED HIS LIQUOR, AND HE LOVED COLORED WOMEN.  THE
 OLE MAN NEVER WHUPPED ANYBODY.  YOUNG MARSTER MARRIED IN THE MARMAD KEFFj   YI
N GATES COUNTY.  HE SOLD ONE MAN WHO BELONGED TO HIS WIFE, MARY.  I NEVER SAW A
SLAVE SOLD.

     "I HAVE SEEN LOTS O' PATEROLLERS.  THEY WERE MY FRIENDS.  I&HAD&orInn SAMO
NG 'EM BECAUSE I HAD A YOUNG MISSUS THEY RUN WITH.  DATS WHY THEY LET ME ALONE.
 I WENT WITH HER TO COTTON PICKIN'S AT NIGHT.  THEY CAME,BUT THEY DIDN' TOUCH M
E.  MY YOUNG MISSUS MARRIED DOCTOR PERRY FROM THE SAME NEIGHBORHOOD IN PERQUIMAN
S COUNTY.  BILL SIMPSON MARRIED HER SISTER.  HE WAS FROM THE SAME PLACE.  WATSON
 WHITE MARRIED THE OTHER ONE.  HE WAS FROM PERQUIMANS.

     "THERE WERE NO HALF-WHITE CHILDREN ON MARSTER'S PLTATrON,&jnDNO MIXUPS T
HAT EVER CAME OUT TO BE A DISGRACE IN ANYWAY.  MY WHITE FOLKS WERE FINE PEOPLE.
 I REMEMBER MARSTER'S BROTHER'S SON TOMMY GOING OFF TO WAR.  MARSTER'S kROTHnR W
AS NAMED WILLIS RIDDICK.  HE NEVER CAME BACK.  I GOT A LETTER FROM MY MISSUS SIN
CE I BEEN IN RALEIGH.  SHE WAS A FINE LADY.  SHE PUT FINE CLOTHES ON ME.  I WAS
A FOREMAN ON THE PLANTATION AND LOOKED AFTER THINGS IN GENERAL.  I HAD CHARGE OF
 EVERYTHING AT THE LOTS AND IN THE FIELDS.  THEY TRUSTED ME.

     "WHEN THE WAR BROKE OUT I LEFT MY MARSTER AND WENT TO PORTsMOUcH, errGrnI .
 GENERAL MILES CAPTURED ME AND PUT ME IN UNIFORM.  I WAITED ON HrM AS A&koDY2bnR
VANT, A PRIVATE IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY.  I STAYED WITH HIM UNTIL GENERAL LEE
SURRENDERED.  WHEN LEE SURRENDERED I STAYED IN WASHINGTON WITH GENERAL MILES AT
THE WILLARD HOTEL AND WAITED ON HIM.  I STAYED THERE A LONG TIME.  I WAS WITH GE
NERAL MILES AT FORTRESS MONROE AND STAYED WITH HIM TILL HE WAS IN CHARGE OF NORT
H CAROLINA.  HE WAS A GENERAL, AND HAD THE 69TH IRISH BRIGADE.  HE ALSO HAD THE
BLUECATS AND GREENTORCHES.

     "I WAITED ON HIM A THE ABBECK HOUSE, ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA AFTnR THE fjr.
I STAYED WITH THE GENERAL A LONG TIME AFTER THE WAR.  I DIDN'T GO WITH GENERAL M
ILES WHEN HE WAS ORDERED TO THE PLAINS OF THE WEST.

     "I STAYED ON THE BUREAU HERE IN RALEIGH.  DOCTOR H C WAGnL f SIN CHARGE.
AFTER I LEFT THE BUREAU I WORKED AT THE N C STATE COLLEGE SEVERAL YEARS THEN I
WORKED WITH
THE CITY AT THE CITY PARKS.  I NEVER LEFT THE STATE AFTER COMING HERE WITH GENER
AL MILES.      I HAD MIGHTY GOOD WHITE PEOPLE, WAS TREATED ALL RIGHT, WAS MADE F
OREMAN AND TREATED WITH EVERY KINDNESS.  I HAVEN'T ANYTHING TO SAY AGAINST SLAVE
RY.  MY OLD FOLKS PUT  MY CLOTHES ON ME WHEN I WAS A BOY.  THEY GAVE ME SHOES AN
D STOCKINGS AND PUT THEM ON  ME WHEN I WAS A LITTLE BOY.  I LOVED THEM AND I
CAN'T GO AGAINST THEM IN ANYTHING.  THERE WERE THINGS I DID NOT LIKE ABOUT SLAVE
RY ON SOME PLANTATIONS, WHUPPIN' AND SELLIN' PARENTS AND CHILDREN FROM EACH OTHE
R BUT I HAVEN' MUCH TO  SAY.  I WAS TREATED GOOD.  DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT ABRAHAM
 LINCOLN, HAVEN'T MUCH TO EXPRESS ABOUT MR ROOSEVELT.  HE IS A-MIGHTYPLEASANT M
AN THO'.  I LEARNED TO READ AND WRITE AFTER THE WAR.  I COULD NOT READ AND WRITE
 WHEN I WAS A SOLDIER."