MAN.  DEY STOPS IN FANNIN COUNTY AWHILE AND DERE I'M BORN.  DAT IN 1862, DEY TEL
LS ME.
     DE PRICE AND BLAIR FAMILIES WAS FIRST ONES TO TEXAS.  DEY HAD TO USE OX TEA
MS AND FORD CREEKS AND RIVERS AND WATCH FOR INDIANS.  I DONE HEAR DEM TALK 'BOUT
 ALL DIS, 'CAUSE COURSE I CAN'T 'MEMBER IT.  ONCE DE INDIANS DONE 'TACK DEM AND
DEY DRUV 'EM OFF, AND EVERY NIGHT NEAR DEY HEARS DE HOWL OF DE WOLVES AND OTHER
WILD ANIMALS.  SOME FOLKS WENT BY BOAT AND DEY HAD RIVER BOAT SONGS.
     DESE THINGS AM HANDED DOWN TO ME BY DE PRICE FAMILY AND MY GRANDDADDY.  DE
PRICE FAMILY DONE FIGHT FOR DE CONFED'RACY ALL DE WAY DOWN DE LINE OF DE FAMILY,
 TO MY OWN PAPPY, WHO WENT WITH HE MASTER WHEN DEY CALLS FOR VOLUNTEERS TO STOP
DE BLOCKADE OF GALVESTON.
     MY MASTER THINK HE GWINE ''SCAPE DE WORST OF DE WAR WHEN HE COME TO TEXAS A
ND DEY AM LIVIN' PEACEABLE DE YEAR I'M BORN, RAISIN' COTTON.  DEY HAD A GIN WHAT
 MY PAPPY WORKED IN, AND MAKES DEY OWN CLOTHES, TOO, WHEN DE YANKEES HAS DE TEXA
S PORTS BLOCKADE SO DE SHIPS CAN'T GIT IN.  WHEN DEY BLOCKADE GALVESTON, OUR OLD
 MASTER DONE TAKE MY PAPPY FOR BODYGUARD AND VOLUNTEERS TO HELP.  FIN'LY GENERAL
 MAGRUDER TAKES GALVESTON FROM DE YANKEES WITH TWO OLD COTTON STEAMERS WHAT HAVE
 COTTON BALES ON DE DECKS FOR BREASTWORKS.
     DE LAST BATTLE MASTER PRICE AND MY PAPPY WAS IN, WAS DE BATTLE OF SABINE PA
SS, AND DE YANKEE GENERAL, BANKS, DONE SEND 'BOUT FIVE THOUSAND TROOPS ON TRANSP
ORTS WITH GUNBOATS, TO FORCE A LANDIN'.  CAPTAIN DICK DOWLING HAD FORTY-SEVEN ME
N TO 'FEND DAT PASS AND MY PAPPY HELPED BUILD BREASTWORKS WHEN DEM YANKEES FIRIN
'.  CAPTAIN DOWLING DONE RUN DEM YANKEES OFF AND TAKES DE STEAMER CLINTON AND 'B
OUT THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY PRISONERS.  MY PAPPY TOLD ME SOME DE CAPTAIN'S MEN D
IDN'T HAVE REAL GUNS, DEY HAVE WOOD GUNS, WHAT DEY CALL CAM'FLAGE NOWADAYS.
     MY PAPPY HELPED AT DE HOSPITAL AFTER DAT BATTLE, AND DEY HAS IT IN A HOTEL
AND MAKES BANDAGES OUT OF SHEETS AND PILLOW CASES AND UNDERWEAR, AND USES DE RUG
S AND CARPETS FOR QUILTS.
     I 'MEMBER DIS SONG, WHAT DEY SING ALL DE TIME AFTER DE WAR.
     I HAS MIGHTY LITTLE TO SAY 'BOUT MYSELF.  I'S ONLY A POOR BAPTIST PREACHER.
  DE HER'TAGE HANDED DOWN TO ME AM DE PROUDES' THING I KNOWS.  DE PRICES WAS BRA
VE AND NO MATTER WHAT SIDE, DEY DONE FIGHT FOR DEY 'LIEF IN DE RIGHT.
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