HARRISON BOYD                1562-TEX/#219
     I WAS 15 YEARS WHEN THEY SAYS WE'RE FREE.  THAT'S THE AGE MY OLD MISSY DONE
 GIVE ME WHEN THE WAR STOPPED.  SHE HAD ALL US NIGGERS' AGES IN A BOOK, AND TOLD
 ME I WAS BORN NEAR HENDERSON.  MY OLD MARSE WAS WASH TRAMMEL AND HE BRUNGED ME
AND MY MAMA AND PAPA FROM  ALABAMA.  MAMA WAS NAMED JULIET AND PAPA AMOS.  MARSE
 TRAMMEL OWNED MY GRANDPA AND GRANDMA TOO, AND THEY WAS NAMED JEANETTE AND JOSH.
     THE PLANTATION WAS TWO MADE INTO ONE, AND PLENTY BIG, AND MORE'N A HUNDRED
 SLAVES TO WORK IT.  MARSE LIVED IN A HEWED LOG HOUSE, WEATHERBOARDED OUT AND IN
 AND THE QUARTERS WAS GOOD,  LOG HOUSES WITH BED RAILIN'S HEWED OUT OF LOGS.  WE
 RAISED EVERYTHING WE ET, 'CEPT SUGAR, AND MARSE BOUGHT THAT IN BIG HOGSHEADS.
WE GOT OUR WEEK'S RATIONS EVERY SUNDAY AND WHEN WE WENT TO EAT, EVERYBODY'S PART
 WAS PUT OUT TO THEM ON A TIN PLATE.
     MARSE TRAMMEL GIVE A BIG CORNSHUCKING EVERY FALL.  HE HAD TWO BOTTOM FIELDS
 IN CORN.  FIRST WE'D GATHER PEAS AND CUSHAWS AND PUMPKINS OUT THE CORNFIELD THE
N GET THE CORN AND PILE IT FRONT THE CRIBS.  THEY WAS TWO BIG CRIBS FOR THE CORN
 WE KEP' TO USE AND FIVE BIG CRIBS FOR SALE CORN.  MY UNCLE STAYED ROUND THE SAL
E CORN CRIBS ALL SPRING, TILL GINNIN' TIME, 'CAUSE FOLKS COME FOR MILES AFTER CO
RN.  MARSE HAD FIVE WHEAT CRIBS AND ONE RYE CRIB.  WE WENT TEN MILES TO TATUM TO
 GIT OUR MEAL AND FLOUR GROUND.
     THE PATTERROLLERS DARSN'T COME 'BOUT OUR PLACE OR BOTHER US NIGGERS.  MARSE
 WASH ALLUS SAY, I'LL PATTERROLLER MY OWN PLACE.  MARSE WAS GOOD TO  US AND ONLY
ONCE A OVERSEER BEAT A WOMAN UP A TRIFLE, AND MARSE TRAMMEL FIRED HIM THAT SAME
DAY.
     THE SOJERS 'FISCATED LOTS OF CORN FROM MARSE AND SOME MORE OWNERS IN RUSK C
OUNTY PILED CORN UP IN A BIG HEAP AND MADE ME GO GO MIND IT TILL THE REST THE SO
JERS GOT THERE.  I WAS SETTIN' TOP THAT CORN PILE, ME AND MY BIG BULLDOG, AND TH
E GENERAL RODE UP.  MY DOG GROWLED AND I MADE HIM HUSH.  THE GENERAL MAN SAY TO
ME, BOY, YOU IS 'SCUSED NOW, GO ON HOME.  I GOT TO A FENCE AND LOOKED BACK AND
 THAT GENERAL WAS HEWIN' HIM A HOSS TROUGH OUT A LOG.  THE SOJERS COME IN DROVES
 AND SET UP THEY CAMP.  I SOT ON A STUMP AND WATCHED THEM PASS.  THEY STAYED THR
EE, FOUR DAYS TILL THE CORN WAS ALL FED UP.
     WHILE THEY'S CAMPED THERE THEY'D COTCH CHICKENS.  THEY HAD A FISHIN' POLE A
ND LINE AND HOOK.  THEY'D PUT A GRAIN OF CORN ON THE HOOK AND RIDE ON THE HOSS A
ND PITCH THE HOOK OUT 'MONG THE CHICKENS.  WHEN A CHICKEN SWALLOWED THE CORN THE
Y'D JERK UP THE LINE WITH THAT CHICKEN AND RIDE OFF.
     MARSE HAD SIX HUNDRED BALES COTTON IN THE SHREVEPORT WAREHOUSE WHEN WAR WAS
 OVER.  HE GOT WORD THEM YANKEES DONE TAKE IT ON A BOAT.  HE GOT HIS BROTHER TO
TAKE HIM TO SHREVEPORT AND SAY, I'LL FOLLOW THAT COTTON TO HELL AND BACK.  HE FO
LLOWED HIS COTTON TO ALABAMA AND GOT IT BACK, BUT HE DIED AND WAS BURIED THERE I
N ALABAMA 'FORE OLD MISSY KNOWED IT.
     I STAYED WITH HER FOUR YEARS AFTER SURRENDER AND THEN WENT TO FARMIN' WITH
MY FOLKS, FOR $10 A MONTH.  AFTER A YEAR OF TWO I WENT TO RAILROADIN', HELPING C
UT THE RIGHT OF WAY FOR THE T & P RAILROAD, FROM MARSHALL TO LONGVIEW.  THEY PAI
D US $1.50 THE DAY AND THREE DRINKS OF WHISKEY A DAY.
     I MARRIED FOUR TIMES BUT HAD ONLY ONE CHILD, BUT I NEVER DONE NOTHIN' 'CITI
N'.  I LIVES BY MYSELF NOW, AND GITS $11 PENSION TO EAT ON.