JOHN COGGIN                  0047-NC /#249
     I WAS BORNED ON MARCH 1, 1852 IN ORANGE COUNTY.  MY MAMMY WUZ NAMED PHILLIS
 PENN AN' SHE WUZ FROM VIRGINIA.  I AIN'T NEBER HAD NO PAW AN' I AIN'T WANTED NO
NE, I AIN'T HAD NO BROTHERS  NER SISTERS NOTHER.
     WE 'LONGED TER DOCTOR JIM LEATHERS, AN' DE ONLY WHUPPIN' I EBER GOT WUZ 'BO
UT FIGHTIN' WID YOUNG MISS AGNES, WHO WUZ SOMMERS LONG 'BOUT MY AGE.  HIT WUZ JI
ST A LITTLE WHUPPIN' BUT I 'MEMBER HIT ALL RIGHT.
     WE WUCKED DE FIEL'S, I TOTIN' WATER FER DE SIX OR SEBEN HAN'S WHAT WUCKED D
AR.  AN' WE JIST WUCKED MODERATE LIKE.  WE HAD PLENTY TER EAT AN' PLENTY TER W'A
R, DO' WE DID GO BAREFOOTED MOST OF DE YEAR.  DE MARSTER SHORE WUZ GOOD TER US D
O.
     I 'MEMBERS DAT DE FUST I HYARD OF DE YANKEES WUZ WHEN YOUNG MARSTER COME IN
 AN' SAYS, LAWD PA, DE YANKEES AM IN RALEIGH.
     DAT EBENIN' I WUZ DRAWIN' WATER WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN I LOOKS UP DE ROAD, AN
' DE AIR AM DARK WID YANKEES.  I NEBER SEED SO MANY MENS, HOSSES AN' MULES IN MY
 LIFE. DE BAND WUZ PLAYIN' AN' DE SOLDIERS WUZ HOLLERIN' AN' DE HOSSES WUZ PRANC
IN' HIGH.  I DONE WHAT ALL OF DE REST O' DE SLAVES DONE; I RUN FER DE WOODS.
     ATTER DE SURRENDER WE MOVED TER A PLACE NIGH DIX HILL HYAR IN RALEIGH AN' M
Y MAMMY MARRIED A COGGIN, DAR'S WHAR I GIT MY NAME.  ALL OF US SLAVES MOVED DAR
 AN' FARMED.
     WAY LONG TIME ATTER DAT OLE MARSTER JIM COME TER VISIT HIS NIGGERS AN' WE H
AD A BOG SUPPER IN HIS HONOR.  DAT NIGHT HE DIED, AN 'FORE HE DIED HIS MIN' SORT
A WANDERS AN' HE THINKS DAT HIT AM BACK IN DE SLAVE DAYS AN' DAT ATTER A LONG JO
URNEY HE AM COMIN' BACK HOME.  HIT SHORE WUZ PITFUL AN' WE SHORE DID HATE IT.
     YES 'UM HONEY, WE GOT 'LONG ALL RIGHT ATTER DE WAR.  YOU KNOWS DAT NIGGERS
AIN'T HAD NO SENSE DEN, NOW DEY HAS.  LOOK AT DESE HYAR SEBEN CHILLUNS, DEY AM M
Y GREAT GRANDCHILLUN AN' DEY GOT A HEAP MO' SENSE DAN I HAS RIGHT NOW.