MANDY COVERSON               0048-NC/#292
          "I WUZ BORNED IN UNION COUNTY TO SARAH AN' HENDERSON TOMBERLIN.  MY MO
THER BELONGED TO MISTER MOSES COVERSON, AN' MY PAPPY BELONGED TO MISTER JACKIE T
OM TOMBERLIN.  I STAYED WID MY MAMMY, OF COURSE, AN' MARSTER MOSES WUZ GOOD TER
ME.  DEY WARN'T SO GOOD TER MY MAMMY, CASE DEY MAKES HER WUCK FRUM SUNUP TILL SU
NDOWN IN DE HOT SUMMERTIME, AN' SHE AIN'T HAD NO FUN AT ALL.  SHE PLOWED TWO OXE
S, AN' IF'EN YO' HAS EBER BEEN AROUND A STEER YO' KNOWS WHAT AGRAVATIN' THINGS D
EY IS.
          "DE OBERSEER, WHOSE NAME I'SE PLUMB FORGOT, WUZ PORE WHITE TRASH AN' H
E WUZ MEANER DAN DE MEANEST NIGGER.  ANYHOW I WUZ TOO LITTLE TER DO MUCH WORK SO
 I PLAYED A HEAP AN' I HAD A BIG TIME.
          "MY MAMMY, DIED 'FORE I WUZ VERY OLD AN' MISSUS KEPT ME IN DE HOUSE.
I WUZ PETTED BY HER, AN' I RECKIN SPOILED.  YO' KNOWS DAT DEN DE NIGGERS AIN'T N
EBER EAT NO BISCUITS BUT MISSUS ALWAYS GIMME ONE EBER MEAL AN' IN DAT WAY SHE GO
T ME INTERESTED IN WAITIN' ON DE TABLE.
          "I WUZN'T OLD ENOUGH TER KNOW MUCH, BUT I DOES 'MEMBER HOW DE FAMBLY H
ID ALL DE VALUABLES 'FORE DE YANKEES COME, AN' DAT MARSTER MOSES IN PICKIN' UP D
E BIG BRASS ANDIRONS HURT HIS BACK AN' DEY SAID DAT DAT WUZ DE CAUSE OF HIS DEAT
H A LITTLE WHILE ATTERWARDS.  ANYHOW DE ANDIRONS WUZ SAVED AN' DAR WARN'T NO TRO
UBLE WID DE YANKEES WHO COMED OUR WAY, AN' DEY AIN'T HURT NOBODY DAR.
          "DEY DID KILL ALL DE THINGS DAT DEY COULD EAT AN' DEY STOLD DE REST OF
 DE FEED STUFF.  DEY MAKE ONE NIGGER BOY DRAW WATER FER DERE HOSSES FER A DAY AN
' NIGHT.  DE YANKEES WUZ MEAN 'BOUT CUSSIN', BUT DE SOUTHERN SOLDIERS WUZ JIST A
S BAD.  WHEELER'S CAVALRY WUZ DE MEANEST IN DE WHOLE BUNCH, I THINKS.
          "DE KU KLUXES WUZ PRETTY MEAN, BUT DEY PICKED DERE SPITE ON DE FREE IS
SUES.  I DON'T KNOW WHY DEY DONE DIS 'CEPT DAT DEY AIN'T WANTIN' NO NIGGERS A-FA
VORIN' DEM NIGH BY, NOW DAT SLAVERY AM OBER.  DEY DONE A HEAP OF BEATIN' AN' CHA
SIN' FOLKSES OUT'N DE COUNTRY BUT I 'SPECKS DAT DE CARPET BAGGERS RULE WUZ MOSTL
Y DE CAUSE OF IT.
          "I MARRIED DANIEL COVERSON, ALAVE ON DE SAME PLANTATION I WUZ ON, AN
' FORTY YEARS AGO WE MOVED TER RALEIGH.  WE HAD A HARD TIME BUT I'SE GLAD DAT HE
  AN' ME AM FREE AN' DOAN BELONG TER TWO DIFF'ENT FAMBLIES."