ADELINE HODGES               0522-ALA/#316
     LOR, YES'M, I LIBED IN DOSE DAYS, AND I TELLS YOU I 'MEMBERS ALL 'BOUT DEM.
  DO COME IN AND SET DOWN.  DE FUST WHITE PEOPLE I B'LONGED TO WAS A MAN NAMED J
ONES, WHO WAS A COLONEL IN DE WAR, BUT I CAN'T TELL YOU MUCH 'BOUT DEM, 'CAZE I
WAS JES' A LI'L GAL DEN.  I WAS JES' BIG 'NUFF TO TOTE WATER TO DE FIEL' TO DE F
OLKS WUKKING AND TO MIN' DE GAPS IN DE FENCE TO KEEP DE CATTLE OUT WHEN DEY WAS
GATHERIN' DE CROPS.  I DON'T 'SPEC' YOU KNOWS ANYTHING 'BOUT DOSE KIND OF
FENCES.  DEY WAS BUILT OF RAILS AND WHEN DEY WAS GATHERIN' DE CROPS DEY JES' TUK
  OWN6ONE SEC  ON6OF DE FENCE, SO DE WAGONS  OULD7GIT THROUGH.
     A'TER DE WAR BROKE OUT OLE MISTER JONES WENT OFF TO HIT, AND I 'MEMBERS DE
DAY HE LEF'.  HE COME TO DE FIEL' TO TELL ALL DE HAN'S GOODBYE, WID A BIG WHITE
PLUME ON HIS HAT.  DAT WAS IN BOLIVAR COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI.  A'TER OL' MISTER JON
ES LEF' FOR DE WAR, DEN DE NIGGER DRIVERS AN' OBERSEER BEGUN TO DRIVE US 'ROUND
LACK DROVES OF CATTLE.  EVERY TIME DEY WOULD HYAR DE YANKEES WAS COMING DEY WOUL
D TAKE US OUT IN DE WOODS AND HIDE US.  FINALLY DEY SOLD US A'TER CARRYING US AW
AY FROM BOLIVAR COUNTY.  SOME OF US WAS SOLD TO PEOPLE IN DEMOPOLIS, ALABAMA, AN
' ATLANTA, GEORGIA, AN' SOME TO FOLKS IN MERIDIAN AND SHUBUTA, MISSISSIPPI.  I D
ON'T ANY MORE KNOW WHAR MY OWN FOLKS WENT TO DAN YOU DOES.
    9I8'MEMBERS AFORE LEAVING OLE MISTER JONES' PLACE DEY GRABBED UP ALL DE CHIL
LUN DAT WAS TOO LI'L TO WALK AND PUTTIN' US IN WAGONS.  DEN DE OLDER FOLKS HAD T
O WALK, AND DEY MARCHED ALL DAY LONG.  DEN AT NIGHT DEY WOULD STRIKE CAMP.  I HA
S SEEN DE YOUNG NIGGERS WHAT WAS LIABLE TO RUN AWAY WID DERE LEGS CHAINED TO A T
REE OR DE WAGON WHEELS.  DEY WOULD RAKE UP STRAW AND THROW A QUILT OBER HIT AND
LIE DAT WAY ALL NIGHT, WHILE US CHILLUN SLEP' IN DE WAGONS.
     WHEN US COME TO DE BIG RIVER AT DEMOPOLIS, ALABAMA, I 'MEMBERS SEEIN' DE BI
G STEAMBOATS DERE, AND DEY SAID DAT DE SOJERS WAS GOIN' AWAY ON DEM.  HIT WAS IN
 DEMOPOLIS US WAS SOLD, AND A MAN NAME NED COLLINS OF SHUBUTA, MISSISSIPPI, BOUG
HT ME.
     I JES' HATES TO HAB TO WEIGH ANYTHING TODAY, 'CAZE I 'MEMBERS SO WELL DAT E
ACH DAY DAT DE SLAVES WAS GIVEN A CERTAIN NUMBER OF POUNDS OF COTTON TO PICK.  W
HEN WEIGHING UP TIME COME AND YOU DIDN'T HAB DE NUMBER OF POUNDS SET ASIDE, YOU
MAY BE SHOH DAT YOU WAS GOIN' TO BE WHUPPED.  BUT HIT WASN'T ALL BAD TIMES 'CAZE
 US DID HAB PLENTY TO EAT, 'SPECIALLY AT HOG KILLIN' TIME.  DEY WOULD HAB DAYS O
B HOG KILLIN' AND DE SLAVES WOULD BAKE DERE BREAD AND COME WID POTS, PEPPER, AND
 SALT.  A'TER CLEANIN' DE HOGS, DEY WOULD GIB US DE LIVERS AND LIGHT, AND US WOU
LD COOK DEM OBER A FIRE OUT IN DE OPEN AND HIT SHO' WAS GOOD EATIN'.  DE USUAL '
LOWANCE A WEEK OF PICKLED PORK WAS SIX OR SEVEN POUNDS, AND IFFEN YOU HAD A BIG
FAMILY OF CHILLUN DEY GIB YOU MORE.  DEN DEY GIB YOU PECK OF MEAL, SWEET 'TATERS
, SORGHUM SYRUP, AND PLENTY OF BUTTERMILK.  AT CHRISTMAS TIMES, DEY GIB YOU EXTR
A SYRUP TO MAKE CAKES WID AND SWEET 'TATERS TO MAKE 'TATER PONE.  AND, LOR', DEY
 WOULD HAB BIG CRIBS OF PUN'KINS.  HIT MAKES ME HONGRY TO THINK 'BOUT DEM GOOD O
L' PUN'KIN PIES.
     AND DID DEY RAISE CHICKENS?  YOU KNOWS IN MISSISSIPPI DAT DE MINKS WAS BAD
'BOUT KILLIN' DEM.  I 'MEMBERS ONE TIME DE MINKS GOT IN DE CHICKEN HOUSE AND KIL
LED NEARLY EVERY CHICKEN ON DE PLACE.  OLE MISTER JONES HAD DE COOK TO CLEAN AND
 COOK DEM, AND HE COME OUT IN DE FIEL' AN' EAT WID DEM TO LET DE SLAVES KNOW DAT
8HIT WAS ALRIGHT.  DEN US HAD DEM GOOD OL' CUSHAWS AND LYE HOMINY, TOO.
     DE CLOTHES WAS MADE OUT OF HOMESPUN IN ONE PIECE.  I 'MEMBERS A ALLUS HAD M
     DE C O,HES6WAS MADE6OUT OF8HOMESPUN IN ONE7PIEC(.  I 'MEMBERS I ALLUS HAD M
INE SPLIT UP DE SIDE SO I COULD GIT 'BOUT IN A HURRY.  DE WOMEN HAD PANTALETTES
MADE AND TIED TO DERE KNEES TO WEAR IN DE FIELDS TO KEEP DE DEW OFF DERE LEGS.
DE SHOES WAS MADE OF COW HIDE AND WAS CALLED RED RUSSETS.  DE WAY DEY GOT DEM DA
RKER WAS TO TAKE A HOG GRISTLE AND HANG UP IN DE CHIMBLEY.  WHEN HIT GIT FULL OF
 SOOT, WE RUB DE SHOES WID DAT.  DEN DEY USED DE DARKER SHOES FOR DERE SUNDAY BE
ST.
    8>OU ASKED ME ABOUT HUNTIN'?  LOR', YES D(Y8HUNTED IN DEM TIMES.  UP IN DEM
SWAMPS IN MISSISSIPPI DERE WAS BEARS AS BIG AS COWS, AND DEERS APLENTY.  DEY BOF
E WAS BAD ABOUT COMIN' IN DE CORN FIEL'S AND TEARIN' DOWN DE CORN.  YOU COULD HY
AR DEM AT NIGHTS OUT IN DE FIEL'S.  DEY ALSO CAUGHT PLENTY OF POSSUNS AND COONS.
     OF COURSE, US GOT SICK BUT DEY HAD DE DOCTOR.  IN DOSE DAYS DE DOCTOR WOULD
 C P YOU AND BLEED YOU.  I SEEN A MANY A PER ON C PPE<.  DE  OC OR8HAD A-L )L2\Q
UARE LOOKIN' BLOCK OF WOOD WID TINY LI'L KNIFES, ATTACHED TO HIT.  ON TOP WAS A
TRIGGER LACK IS ON A GUN, AND DE DOCTOR WOULD PUT DE BLOCK AT DE NAPE OF DERE NE
CK AN' PULL DAT TRIGGER.  DEN HE HAB A PIECE OF COTTON WID SOMEPIN' ON HIT TO ST
OP DE BLOOD WHEN HE HAD CUPPED YOU LONG 'NOUGH.  DEY WOULD ALLUS GIB US CALAMUS
TO CLEAN US OUT, AND DEN DE NEX' MAWNIN' DEY GIB US A BIG BOWL OF GRUEL MADE OUT
 OB MEAL AND MILK.  DEN US'ED BE ALL RIGHT.
     DE SLAVES WARNHT 'LOWED TO GO TO CHURCH, BUT DEY WOULD WHISPER 'ROUN' AND A
LL MEET IN DE WOODS AND PRAY.  DE ONLY TIME I 'MEMBERS MY PAW WAS ONE TIME WHEN
I WAS A LI'L CHILE, HE SET ME ON A LOG BY HIM AN' PRAYED, AN' I KNOWS DAT WAS WH
AR DE SEEDS OB RELIGION WAS PLANTED IN MY MIN'.  TODAY I'S HAPPY TO TELL FOLKS '
BOUT JESUS AND THANK HIM FOR HIS GOODNESS TO ME.  HIT WON'T BE LONG TWELL I MEET
 HIM FACE TO FACE AND THANK HIM.
 X  XXX