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BOB MOBLEY                   0728-GEO/#362
     I WAS THE SEVENTH CHILD OF THE ELEVEN CHILDREN BORN TO ROBERT AND VIOLET HA
MMOCK, SLAVES OF MISTER HENRY MOBLEY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.  MY PARENTS WERE ALSO B
ORN IN CRAWFORD COUNTY.
     MY MASTER WAS WELL-TO-DO; HE OWNED A GREAT DEAL OF LAND AND MANY NEGROES.
     MACON WAS OUR NEAREST TRADING TOWN - AND MISTER MOBLEY SOLD HIS COTTON AND
DID HIS TRADING THERE, THOUGH HE SENT HIS CHILDREN TO SCHOOL AT KNOXVILLE.  MY M
OTHER WAS THE FAMILY COOK, AND ALSO SUPERINTENDED THE COOKING FOR MANY OF THE SL
AVES.
     WE SLAVES HAD A GOOD TIME, AND NONE OF US WERE ABUSED OR MISTREATED, THOUGH
 YOUNG NEGROES WERE SOMETIMES WHIPPED - WHEN THEY DESERVED IT.  GROWN NEGRO MEN,
 IN THOSE DAYS, WORE THEIR HAIR LONG AND, AS A PUNISHMENT TO THEM FOR MISCONDUCT
, THE MASTER CUT THEIR HAIR OFF.
     I WAS RAISED IN MY MASTER'S HOUSE - SLEPT IN HIS ROOM WHEN I WAS A SMALL BO
Y, JUST TO BE HANDY TO WAIT ON HIM WHEN HE NEEDED ANYTHING.
     IF A SLAVE SICK, A DOCTOR WAS PROMPTLY CALLED TO ATTEND HIM.  MY MOTHER WAS
 ALSO A KIND OF DOCTOR AND OFTEN RODE ALL OVER THE PLANTATION TO DOSE AILING NEG
ROES WITH HERB TEAS AND HOME MEDICINE WHICH SHE WAS AN ADEPT IN COMPOUNDING.  IN
 CASES OF MINOR ILLNESS, SHE COULD STRAIGHTEN UP THE SICK IN NO TIME.
     BEFORE THE WAR STARTED, I TOOK MY YOUNG MASTER TO GET MARRIED, AND WE WERE
CERTAINLY DRESSED UP.  YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN A NIGGER AND A WHITE MAN AS DRESSED U
P AS WE WERE ON THAT OCCASION.
     AN AUNT OF MINE WAS HEAD WEAVER ON OUR PLANTATION, AND SHE BOSSED THE OTHER
 WOMEN WEAVERS AND SPINNERS.  TWO OR THREE SEAMSTRESSES DID ALL THE SEWING.
     IN WINTER TIME WE SLAVES WORE WOOL, WHICH HAD BEEN DYED BEFORE THE CLOTH WA
S CUT.  IN SUMMER WE WORE LIGHT GOODS.
     WE RAISED NEARLY EVERY THING THAT WE ATE, EXCEPT SUGAR AND COFFEE, AND MADE
 ALL THE SHOES AND CLOTHES WORN ON THE PLACE, EXCEPT THE WHITE LADIES' SILKS, FI
NE SHAWLS, AND SLIPPERS, AND THE MEN'S BROADCLOTHS AND DRESS BOOTS.
     MY YOUNG MASTER WENT TO THE WAR, BUT HIS FATHER WAS TOO OLD TO GO.  WHEN WE
 HEARD THAT THE YANKEES WERE COMING, OLD MASTER REFUGEED TO DOOLY COUNTY - WHERE
 HE BOUGHT A NEW FARM, AND TOOK HIS NEGROES WITH HIM.  BUT THE NEW PLACE WAS SO
POOR THAT, RIGHT AFTER THE WAR CLOSED, HE MOVED BACK TO HIS OLD PLANTATION.  I S
TAYED WITH MISTER HENRY FOR A LONG TIME AFTER FREEDOM, THEN CAME TO HAWKINSVILLE
 TO WORK AT THE CARPENTER'S TRADE.  AND I DID PRETTY WELL HERE UNTIL I FELL OFF
A HOUSE SEVERAL YEARS AGO, SINCE WHICH TIME I HAVEN'T BEEN MUCH GOOD - NOT ABLE
TO DO HARDLY ANY WORK AT ALL.
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