HARRIET BARRET               1549-TEX/#368
     MASSA STEVE GLASS, HE OWN MY PAPPY AND MAMMY AND ME, UNTIL THE WAR FREED
US.  PAPPY'S BORNED IN AFRICA AND MAMMY IN VIRGINY, AND BRUNG TO TEXAS 'FORE DE
WAR, AND I'S BORNED IN TEXAS IN 1851.  I'S HEERED MY GRANDPA WAS WILD AND DEY DI
DN'T KNOW 'BOUT MARRYIN' IN AFRICA.  MY BROTHER NAME STEVE GLASS AND I DUNNO IFF
EN I HAD SISTER OR NOT.
     DEY PUT ME TO COOKIN' WHEN I'S A LI'L KID AND PEOPLE SAYS NOW DAT AUNT HARR
IET AM DE BES' COOK IN MADISONVILLE.  MASSA HAVE GREAT BIG GARDEN AND PLENTY TO
EAT.  I'S COOK BIG SKILLET PLUMB FULL CORN AT DE TIME AND US ALL HAVE PLENTY
MEAT.  MASSA, HE STEP OUT AND KILL BIG DEER AND PUT IN DE GREAT BIG POT AND COOK
 IT.  THEN US HAVE CORNBREAD AND SYRUP.
     US HAVE LOG QUARTERS WITH STICK POSTS FOR BED AND DEERSKIN STRETCH OVER IT.
  DEN US PULL MOSS AND THROW OVER DAT.  I HAVE DE GOOD MASSA, BLESS HE SOUL.  MI
SSY, SHE PLUMB GOOD.  SHE SICK ALL DE TIME AND DEY NEVER HAVE WHITE CHILLEN.  DE
Y LIVE IN BIG, LOG HOUSE, FOUR ROOMS IN IT AND DE GREAT HALL BOTH WAYS THROUGH I
T.
     MASSA, HE HAVE BIG BUNCH SLAVES AND WORK DEM LONG AS DEY COULD SEE DnN LOlK
 'EM UP IN DE QUARTERS AT NIGHT TO KEEP 'EM FROM RUNNIN' OFF.  DE PATTERROLLERS
COME AND GO THROUGH DE QUARTERS TO SEE IF ALL DE NIGGERS DERE.  DEY WALK RIGHT O
VER US WHEN US SLEEPS.
     SOME SLAVE RUN OFF, GWINE TO DE NORTH, AND MASSA HE COTCH HIM AND GIVE HIM
THIRTY-NINE LICKS WITH RAWHIDE AND LOCK DEM UP AT NIGHT, TOO, AND KEEP CHAIN ON
HIM IN DAYTIME.
     I HAVE DE GOOD MASSA, BLESS HE SOUL, AND MISSY SHE PLUMB GOOD.  I'LL NEVER
FORGIT DEM.  MASSA 'LOW US HAVE HOLIDAY SATURDAY NIGHT AND GO TO NIGGER DANCE IF
 IT ON 'NOTHER PLANTATION.  BOY, OH BOY, DE TIN PAN BEATIN' AND DE BANJO PICKIN'
 AND DE DANCE ALL NIGHT LONG.
     WHEN DE WAR START, WHITE MISSY DIE, AND MASSA HAVE DE PREACHER.  SHE WAS A
WHITE ANGEL.  DEN MASSA MARRY MISSY ALICE LONG AND SHE DE BAD WOMAN WITH US NIGG
ERS.  SHE HARD ON US, NOT LIKE OLD MISSY.
     I LARNED LOTS OF REMEDIES FOR SICK PEOPLE.  CHARCOAL AND ONIONS AND HONEY F
OR DE LI'L BABY AM GOOD, AND CAMPHER FOR DE CHILLS AND FEVER AND TEETH CUTTIN'.
 I'S BOIL RED OAK AND MAKE TEA FOR FEVER AND MAKE CASTUS WEED ROOT TEA FOR FEVER
 AND CHILLS AND COLIC.  DE BEST REMEDIE FOR CHILLS AND FEVER AM TO GIT RABBIT FO
OT TIE ON STRING 'ROUND DE NECK.
     MASSA, HE CARRY ME TO WAR WITH HIM, 'CAUSE I'S GOOD COOK.  IN DAT NEW ORLEA
NS BATTLE HE WOULDED AND GUNS ROARIN' EVERYWHERE.  DEY BRUNG MS
NS BATTLE HE WOULDED AND GUNS ROARIN' EVERYWHERE.  DEY BRUNG MASSA IN AND I'S JU
S' AS WHITE AS HE AM DEN.  DEM YANKEES DONE SHOOT DE ROOF OFF DE HOUSE.  I NUSS
DE SICK AND WOUNDED CLEAN THROUGH DE WAR AND SEED DEM DYIN' ON EVERY SIDE OF ME.
     I'S MOST SCARED TO DEATH WHEN DE WAR ENDED.  US STILL IN NEW ORLEANS jND jL
L DE SHOUTIN' DAT TOOK PLACE 'CAUSE US FREE]  DEY CROWDS ON DE STREETS AND WAS I
N A STIR JUS' AS THICK AS FLIES ON DE DOG.  MASSA SAY I'S FREE AS HIM, BUT IFFEN
 I WANTS TO COOK FOR HIM AND MISSY I GITS $2.50 DE MONTH, sO I COOKS oOR HrM TrL
L I MARRIES ARMSTEAD BARRETT, AND THEN US FARM FOR DE LIVIN'.  US HAVE BIG CHURC
H WEDDIN' AND I HAS WHITE LOYAL DRESS AND BLACK BROGAN SHOES.  US BEEN MARRIED 5
1 YEARS NOW.
 X  XXX