JIM GILLARD                  0524-ALA/#232
     GAME WAS PLENTIFUL IN DEM DAYS, AN' I NEVER HAD ANY TROUBLE CATCHIN' DEM BI
RDS.
     NO'M OUR HOUSES WASN'T NOTHIN' TO BRAG ABOUT.  DEY WAS BUILT OF HEWN LOGS A
N' HAD SLAB FLOORS, HAVIN' TWO ROOMS AN' A SHED COOK ROOM.  US BEDS WAS LAK TABL
ES, WID FOUR LEGS NAILED ON TO DE SIDES AN' DEN CORDED OVER DE TOP WID ROPES DAT
 WAS TIGHTENED WID A BIG KEY.  US HAD SHUCK MATTRESSES TO SLEEP ON.
     US COOKEC ON A GREAT BIG FIREPLACE.  I 'MEMBERS DAT DERE  WAS PLENTY OF MEA
T IN DE WINTER, 'CASE OL' MARSTER USED TO KILL AS MANY AS THIRTY HOGS AT A TIME.
  US HAD MEAT AN' BREAD AN' HOME MADE LIGHT BREAD AN' DE WHITE FOLKS WAS MIGHTY
KIND.  I 'MEMBERS US WAS CARRIED TO SUNDAY SCHOOL EVERY SUNDAY AT 3 O'CLOCK IN D
E EVENIN'.  OL' MISTUS TEACH US DE LESSON.  DE WHITE CHILLUNS HAD DERE SUNDAY SC
HOOL  AT 9 O'CLOCK IN  DE MORNIN'.
     I ALLUS WENT TO SUNDAY SCHOOL, BUT ON DE WEEK DAYS US LITTLE NIGGERS WOULD
SLIP OFF AN' GO HUNTIN' WHEN WE COULD.
     YES'M US HAD PURTY GOOD CLOTHES.  DEY WAS DYED BROWN WID WALNUT LEAVES AN'
HAZELNUT BUSH, AN' ON SUNDAY US HAD STRIPED GINGHAM PANTS AN' SHOES.  MY FATHER
WAS DE SHOEMAKER AN' HAD A GOV'MINT TAN YARD WHAR HE WOULD MAKE OL' HARD BROGANS
 FER $8 A PAIR.
     MY MARSTER AN' MISTUS WAS STEVEN AN' 'LIZBETH WILSON.  DEY FUST LIVED IN A
 BIG LOG HOUSE, BUT DEN MOVED INTO A PLANKED HOUSE.  DEY HAD NINE CHILLUN; ANN,
STEVEN, WILLIAMM LIZA, HUMIE, EDDIE, LAURA, MARY AN' LIZZIE.
     I 'MEMBERS LOTS 'BOUT MISTUS 'LIZABETH, 'CASE SHE USETER READ DE BIBLE TO U
S NIGGERS.  SHE WOULD TALK TO US 'BOUT DE GOOD BOOK AN' HAVE PRAYER MEETIN' WID
US.
     MY DAD USETER LOOK ATTER DE FIEL' HANDS.  NO'M HE WAR'NT NO OVERSEER, BUT O
L' MARSTER ALLUS HAD CONFIDENCE IN HIM.
     I 'MEMBERS DAT WHEN DEY WOULD BE A FUNERAL, US'D SING; MARCHIN' BEFO' DE BO
DY 'FORE US'D GET TO DE GRAVE AN' SINGIN', HARK COME DE TUNE A DOLEFUL SOUND, MY
 YEARS A TENDER CRY;  A LIVIN' MAN COME VIEW DE GROUND WHAR YOU MAY SHORTLY LIE.
     US FROLICS ON SATTIDY NIGHT WAS FINE AN' US'D DANCE 'TWEL MOS' DAY.  MARSTE
R'S BROTHER WOULD FIDDLE FOR US, AN' AT CHRISTMAS TIME US WOULD HAVE SIX DAYS TO
 FROLIC.  US ALSO HAD A BIG TIME AT DE CORNSHUCKIN'S AN' US'D WHOOP AN' HOLLER A
N' SING MOS' ALL NIGHT.  DE BIG NIGGERS HAD PLENTY OF LIQUOR DE BOSS GIVE 'EM.
HIGH TABLES WAS FILLED UP WID CORN AN' DE NIGGERS WOULD SHUCK 'TWEL IT WAS ALL D
ONE.
     MY AUNT MARRIED UP AT DE BIG HOUSE AN' DEY GIVE HER A BIG DANCE.  DEY HAD D
E FIDDLE AND HAD A GREAT BIG TIME.  DEY JES' JUMPED OVER DE BROOM TO MARRY, SO A
TTER SLAVERY DEY HAD TO GIT MARRIED AGIN.
     I ACTED AS HOUSEBOY IN SLAVERY TIMES.  AN' ALL DE LITTLE NIGGERS DID HAVE L
OTS OF  FUN.
     WHEN DE SLAVES GOT AILIN', I 'MEMBERS DAT MARSTER HAD DOCTOR WORD AN' DOCTO
R DUNWOODY TO COME SEE US.
     I 'MEMBERS, TOO, HOW DE YANKEES COME TO SPRING VILLA, 'BOUT EIGHT MILES FRO
M OPELIKA, AN' SAID TO SOME MENS, HALT]  DE MENS WOULDN'T STOP SO DE YANKEES THR
OWED DEY GUNS ON DEM.  TWO WHITE LADIES THREW A WHITE FLAG AN' DEY WOULDN'T SHOO
T, BUT DEY CARRIED MR JOHN EDWARDS TO SPRING VILLA AN' MADE A CROSS ON HIS
WRIST;  DEN TURNED HIM LOOSE 'CASE HIS WIFE WAS RALE SICK.
     WHEN DE YANKEES COME, US NIGGERS BURIED A CIGAR BOX WID DE JEWELRY IN IT UN
DER A CERTAIN PINE TREE 'TWEL DEY WENT ON.
     ATTER DE BIG WAR, I MARRIED JANE DAVIS FUST TIME;  DEN CARRIE COOPER.  US H
AD TWO CHILLUN AN' ONE GRAN' CHILE, EMANUEL TROTTER, TEN YEAR OLD.
     YASSU'M, MR ABRAHAM LINCOLN DIED A WARRIOR FOR DIS COUNTRY.   I B'LONGS TO
 DE CHURCH, 'CASE IF A MAN DIES OUTTER DE ARK HE IS NOT SAVED, AN' I WANTS TO BE
 SAVED.