X   XXX


          JOHN COGGIN        0047-NC/#249
          "I WAS BORNED ON MARCH 1, 1852 IN ORANGE COUNTY.  MY MAMMY WUZ NAMED P
HILLIS PENN AN' SHE WUZ FROM VIRGINIA.  I AIN'T NEBER HAD NO PAW AN' I AIN'T WAN
TED NONE, I AIN'T HAD NO BROTHERS NER SISTERS NOTHER.
          "WE 'LONGED TER DOCTOR JIM LEATHERS, AN' DE ONLY WHUPPIN' I EBER GOT W
UZ 'BOUT FIGHTIN' WID YOUNG MISS AGNES, WHO WUZ SOMMERS LONG 'BOUT MY AGE.  HIT
WUZ JIST A LITTLE WHUPPIN' BUT I 'MEMBERS HIT ALL RIGHT.
          "WE WUCKED DE FIEL'S, I TOTIN'  WATER FER DE SIX OR SEBEN HAN'S THAT W
UCKED DAR.  AN' WE JIST WUCKED MODERATE LIKE.  WE HAD PLENTY TER EAT AN' PLENTY
TER W'AR, DO' WE DID GO BAREFOOT MOST OF DE YEAR.  DE MARSTER SHORE WUZ GOOD TER
 US DO'."
          "I 'MEMBERS DAT DE FUST I HYARD OF DE YANKEES WUZ WHEN YOUNG MARSTER C
OME 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 RO
AD, 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 WU
Z PRANCIN' HIGH.  I DONE WHAT ALL OF DE REST OF DE SLAVES DONE; I RUN FER DE WOO
DS.
          "ATTER DE SURRENDER WE MOVED TER A PLACE NIGH DIX HILL HYAR IN RALEIGH
 AN' MY MAMMY MARRIED A COGGIN, DAR'S WHAR I GITS MY NAME.  ALL OF US SLAVES MOV
ED DAR AN' FARMED.
          "WAY LONG TIME ATTER DAT OLE MARSTER JIM COME TER VISIT HIS NIGGERS, A
N' WE HAD A BIG SUPPER IN HIS HONOR.  DAT NIGHT HE DIED, AN' 'FORE HE DIED HIS M
IND SORTA WANDERS AN' HE THINKS DAT HIT AM BACK IN DE SLAVE DAYS AN' DAT ATTER A
 LONG JOURNEY HE AM COMIN' BACK HOME.  HIT SHORE WUZ PITIFUL AN' WE SHORE DID HA
TE IT.
          "YES 'UM HONEY, WE GOT 'LONG ALL RIGHT ATTER DE WAR.  YOU KNOWS DAT NI
GGERS AIN'T HAD NO SENSE DEN, NOW DEY HAS.  LOOK AT DESE HYAR SEBEN CHILLUNS, DE
Y AM MY GREAT GRAN'CHILLUN AN' DEY GOT A HEAP MO' SENSE DAN I HAS RIGHT NOW."