MARIAH SNYDER                1785_TEX/#250
I'S BORNED IN MISSISSIPPI.  YES, SAR.  I 'LONGED TO MASSA MILLER AND HE NAME AM
SAM, AND MY NAME AM MARIAH.  MY PAPPY WAS WELDON AND MY MAMMY, ANN.  MASSA SAM F
OTCHES ALL US TO TEXAS WHEN I'S JES' FIVE YEAR OLD AND WE COME IN WAGONS AND HOS
SBACK.  HE DONE BUY MY MAMMY AND PAPPY IN THE SLAVE MARKET, SO I DON'T KNOW NOTH
ON' 'BOUT NONE MY OTHER 'LATIONS.     MASSA SAM LIVE IN A GREAT BIG, CEILED HOUS
E, AND HAD PLENTY LAND AND NIGGERS.  THE QUARTERS WAS LOGS AND ANY KIND BEDS WE
COULD GIT.  WE WORE LOWELL CLOTHES AND I NEVER SEED NO OTHER KIND OF DRESS TILL
AFTER SURRENDER.  WE AT MEAT AND COLLARDS AND CORNBREAD AND ROUGH GRUB, AND THEY
 BILED ALL THE VICTUALS IN A BIG, BLACK POT WHAT HUNG ON A RACK IN THE KITCHEN F
IREPLACE.  WE HAD RED RUSSET, FLAT SHOES AND NO STOCKIN'S, BUT IN WINTER WE MADE
 WOOL PANTIES TO WEAR ON OUR LEGS.     MISSY WAS NAME PATSY AND SHE WAS PURTY GO
OD, AND MASSA SAM WAS PURTY GOOD, TOO.  HE'D WHIP US IF WE NEEDED IT.  HE'D PULL
 OFF OUR CLOTHES AND WHIP IN DE FIELD.  BUT HE WOULDN'T 'LOW THE DRIVER TO WHIP
US IF WE DIDN'T NEED IT.  NO, SAR.  AND HE WOULDN'T HAVE NO PATTERROLLERS ON THE
LACE.     THE DRIVER COME ROUND AND WOKE EVERYBODY UP AND HAD 'EM IN THE FIELD B
Y DAYBREAK.  I'S SEED A WHOLE FIELD OF NIGGERS ABREAST, HOEIN'.  THE ROWS OF COT
TON WAS SO LONG YOU COULDN'T MAKE BUT ONE 'FORE DINNERTIME.  I DRIVE THE GIN, WH
AT WAS RUN BY TWO MULES.  THE COTTON WAS WROPPED IN BAGGIN' AND TIED WITH ROPES.
  IT WAS A LONG TIME AFTER 'FORE I SEED COTTON TIED WITH STEEL LIKE THE BALES IT
 NOW.     I SEED PLENTY NIGGERS WHIPPED WHILE I DRIV THAT GIN.  THEY TIED THE FE
ETS AND HANDS AND RAWHIDED 'EM GOOD.  THEY TIED A BELL ON ONE WOMAN WHAT RUN AWA
Y ALL THE TIME.  THEY LOCKS IT ROUND HER HEAD.     I SEED LOTS OF NIGGERS PUT ON
 THE BLOCK AND BID OFF AND CARRY AWAY IN CHAINS.  ONE WOMAN NAME VENUS RAISES HE
R HANDS AND HOLLERS, "WEIGH DEM CATTLE," WHILST SHE'S BEIN' BID OFF.     THE BIG
 FOLKS DANCES ALL NIGHT SAT'DAY.  THAT'S ALL THE FUN WE HAD.  WE USED TO SING.
THE SLAVES MOST ALWAYS SINGS WHILST THEYS WORKIN' IN THE FIELD.     MASSA HAVE A
 CULLUD MAN WHAT GIVE US OUR ABC'S.  I STILL GOT MINE, BUT DIDN'T NEVER GIT NO F
URTHER.     MASSA SAM GIT KILT 'FORE THE WAR.  A MULE THROWED HIM.  HE HAD PLENT
Y GOOD HOSSES BUT ALLUS RODE A MULE.  HE COME IN FROM A NEIGHBOR'S ONE DAY AND T
HE MULE THROWED HIM ON A STOB 'FORE HE GOT TO THE HOUSE.  WE HEARED A HOLLERIN'
DOWN THE ROAD, BUT DIDN'T PAY NO 'TENTION, 'CAUSE THEY'S ALLUS ALL KIND RACKET G
WINE ON.  FIN'LY SOMEBODY SAY, "THAT SOUND LIKE A MAN," AND WE GOES DOWN THERE A
ND IT WAS MASSA.  'FORE HE DIE HE CALLS ALL THE CULLUD CHILLUN TO HIM AND SHAKES
 HANDS AND TELLS 'EM TO BE GOOD.     WE 'LONGS TO HE SON, RUBEN, THEN, AND STAYS
 WITH HIM THREE YEARS AFTER SURRENDER.  LORDY ME]  HOW I HATES TO THINK OF 'EM T
ALKIN' 'BOUT THAT WAR]  YOUNG MISSY CRY A WHOLE WEEK, 'CAUSE SHE FEAR HER MEN FO
LKS GWINE GIT KILT.  THEY DID, TOO.  HER TWO BOYS, GEORGE AND FRANK, GITS KILT,
AND HEAP OF THE NEIGHBORS BOYS GITS KILT, TOO.    FIN'LY US LEAVES MASSA RUBEN A
ND GOES TO SHREVEPORT AND I MARRIES SNYDER.  THE PROGO MARSHAL MARRIES US.  WE R
AISES TWO GALS AND I LIVES WITH MARY.  SNYDER DIED TWENTY-TWO YEARS AGO AND ALL
THEM YEARS I MADE A LIVIN' WASHIN' AND IRONIN' AND COOKIN', UP TO SIX YEARS AGO.
  I GITS A PENSION FROM THE GOV'MENT NOW AND IT AM $10.00 A MONTH.  IT'S MIGHTY
GOOD OF THE WHITE FOLKS TO TAKE CARE OF THIS OLD NIGGER, BUT I'D RATHER WORK, ON
LY I AIN'T ABLE NO MORE.