JOE RUTHERFORD               0428-SC /#240
     I WAS BORN ABOUT 1846, 'CAUSE I WAS IN DE WAR AND WAS 19 YEARS OLD WHEN DE
 WAR WAS OVER.  I WENT TO CHARLESTON WITH MY MASTER, ROS ATWOOD, MY MISTRESS'S B
ROTHER.  MY MISTRESS WAS MRS LAURA RUTHERFORD AND MY MASTER AT HOME WAS DOCTOR T
HOMAS RUTHERFORD.  WE WAS ON MORRIS ISLAND.
     MY FATHER WAS ALLEN RUTHERFORD AND MY MOTHER BARBARA RUTHERFORD.  MY DADDY
HAD COME FROM CHILI TO THIS COUNTRY, WAS A HARNESS MAKER, AND BELONGED AWHILE TO
 NICHOLS.  WE HAD A GOOD HOUSE OR HUT TO LIVE IN, AND MY WORK WAS TO DRIVE COWS
 TILL I WAS OLD ENOUGH TO WORK IN DE FIELDS, WHEN I WAS 13.  THEN I PLOWED, HOED
 COTTON, AND HOED CORN 'TILL LAST YEAR OF WAR AND DEN WENT TO CHARLESTON.
     MASTER PAID US NO MONEY FOR WORK.  WE COULD HUNT AND FISH AND GOT LOTS OF G
AME AROUND THERE.  WE HAD DOGS BUT OUR MASTER DIDN'T LIKE HOUNDS.
     COLONEL DARYTON RUTHERFORD, DOCT'S SON, HAD ME FOR A PET ON THE PLACE.  THE
Y HAD OVERSEERS WHO WAS SOMETIMES BOSSY BUT THEY WOULDN'T ALLOW DEM TO WHIP ME.
 ONE OLD NIGGER NAMED ISOM WHO COME FROM AFRICA, WAS WHIPPED MIGHTY BAD ONE DAY.
  THE PADDEROLLERS WHIP ME ONE NIGHT WHEN I WENT OFF TO GIT A PAIR OF SHOES FOR
AN OLD LADY AND DIDN'T GIT A PASS.  I WAS 16 YEARS OLD THEN.
     DOCOTR RUTHERFORD HAD SEVERAL FARMS--I RECKON AROUND 2,000 ACRES OF LAND.
WE DIDN'T HAVE CHURCH NOR  SCHOOL BUT SOMETIMES WE HAD TO GO TO DE WHITE FOLKS C
HURCH AND SET IN THE GALLERY.  WE DIDN'T LEARN TO READ AND WRITE.  THE MISTRESS
LEARNT SOME OF DE NIGGER CHAPS TO READ AND WRITE A LITTLE.
     WE HAD SATURDAY AFTERNOONS OFF TO WASH UP AND CLEAN UP.  WHEN CHRISTMAS COM
E THE DOCTOR WOULD GIVE US GOOD THINGS TO EAT.  WHEN WE WAS SICK HE GIVE US MEDI
CINE, BUT SOME OF DE OLD FOLKS WOULD MAKE HOT TEAS FROM ROOT HERBS.
     WE HAD OLD TIME CORNSHUCKINGS BEFORE AND AFTER FREEDOM.  WE MADE SURE ENOUG
H CORN DEN AND LOTS OF IT--HAD FOUR CRIBS FULL.  WHEN FREEDOM COME, THE OLD MAN
HAD FALLEN OFF A BLOCK AND WAS HURT, SO ONE OF DE OVERSEERS TOLD US WAS FREE AND
 COULD GO IF WE WANTED TO.  SOME OF DEM STAYED ON AND SOME GOT IN THE BIG ROAD A
ND NEVER STOPPED WALKING.  THEN WE WORKED FOR ONE THIRD SHARE OF THE CROPS;  HAD
OUR LITTLE PATCH TO WORK, TOO.
     I WAS 31 YEARS OLD WHEN I MARRIED FIRST TIME.  WAS LIVING IN MOLLOHON.  HER
 NAME WAS LEANA AND SHE BELONGED TO MADISON BROOKS'S FAMILY, AS WAITING GIRL.  I
 WAS MARRIED TWICE, BUT HAD 13 CHILDREN ALL BY MY FIRST WIFE.  I HAVE 14 GRANDCH
ILDREN, AND SO MANY GREAT GRANDCHILDREN I CAN'T COUNT THEM.
     WHEN DE KU KLUX WAS IN DAT COUNTRY I LIVED WID A MAN WHO WAS ONE OF THEM.
 THE FIRST I KNEW ABOUT IT WAS WHEN I WENT DOWN TO DE MILL, DE MULE THROWED ME A
ND DE MEAL, AND DOWN DE ROAD I WENT TO RUNNING AND MET A KU KLUX.  IT WAS HIM.
     I THINK ABE LINCOLN AND JEFF DAVIS GOOD MEN, BUT DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT DEM.
     I JOIN DE CHURCH WHEN I WAS 68 YEARS OLD 'CAUSE GOD SENT ME TO DO IT.  I BE
LIEVE ALL OUGHT TO JOIN CHURCH.
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