RICHARD JONES                0355-SC_/#
     EVERYBODY DAT KNOWS ME KNOWS DAT I WAS BORN ON DE JIM GIST PLANTATION, AND
IT USED TO JINE MISTER WINSMITH'S AND DE GLENN PEAK PLANTATIONS.  MISTER WIM
IT USED TO JINE MISTER WINSMITH'S AND DE GLENN PEAK PLANTATIONS.  MISTER WINSMIT
H WAS A DOCTOR.  MARSE JIM SHO WAS A GOOD MAN TO HIS DARKIES.
     MU FAATHER WAS NAMED NED JONES AND HE BELONGED TO MARSE BERRY JONES.  HIS P
LANTATION WAS ACROSS DE FOREST, NEXT TO WEST SPRINGS.  MOTHER WAS LUCY GIST, BEL
ONGING TO MARSE JIM.  MY PARENTS HAD DE FOLLOWING CHILLUNS:  ESTER, BELLA, EPHRI
AM, GRIGGS, JOHN, PENFIELD, ME, AND RICHARD.  DEY MARRIED AND SO WE WAS ALL JONE
S.
     DE S AVES IN DE GIST QUARTER LIVED WELL.  ALL NIGGER CHILLUNS IN DAT QUARTE
R HAD VERY SMALL TASKS UNTIL DEY WAS SEVENTEEN OR EIGHTEEN YEARS OLD.  DE QUARTE
R HAD NINE HOUSES.  DERE WAS SEVENTEEN HUNDRED ACRES IN OUR PLANTATION; OR DAT I
S, DE PART WHERE WE LIVED AND WORKED.  WE LIVED IN ONE-ROOM LOG CABINS DAT HAD T
O BE WELL KEPT ALL OF DE TIME.
     ALL DE CHILLUNS IN DE QUARTER WAS WELL FED, CLOTHED, HOUSED, AND DOCTORED U
NTIL DEY WAS STRONG AND WELL DEVELOPED YOUNGUNS.  DEN DEY WAS GIVE TASKS AND LEA
RNT TO DO WHAT DE MASTER AND DE MISTRESS THOUGHT DEY WOULD DO WELL AT.
     IN DE HOUSES WE HAD COMFORTABLE HOME-MADE BEDS AND CHAIRS.  WE HAD NICE TAB
LES AND PLENTY TO EAT.  OUR CLOTHES WAS KEPT MENDED BY A SEAMSTRESS, AND DESE TH
INGS WAS LOOKED AFTER BY ONE OF DE MAMMIES ON DE PLANTATION DAT WAS TOO OLD TO W
ORK.
     AH YES, WELL DOES I 'MEMBER MY GRANNY FROM AFRICA, AND STRAIGHT FROM DERE,
TOO; JUDITH GIST, DEY NAMED HER.  DAT OLE LADY COULD NOT WORK WHEN SHE DIED, FER
 SHE WAS A HUNDRED AND TEN YEARS OLD.  DEY HAD IN DE PAPER DAT I WAS 125.  IT GI
VES ME NOTICE TO SAY DAT I IS DE OLDEST MAN IN UNION COUNTY.  CAN'T 'MEMBER ANY
OF MY GRANDFATHERS.  MILLIE GIST WAS MY MOTHER, AND AUNT JUDITH WAS HER MOTHER.
     GRANNY JUDITH SAID DAT IN AFRICA DEY HAD VERY FEW PRETTY THINGS, AND DAT DE
Y HAD NO RED COLORS IN CLOORS IN CLOTH, IN FACT, DEY HAD NO CLOTH AT ALL.  SOME
STRANGERS WID PALE FACES COME ONE DAY AND DRAPPED A SMALL PIECE OF RED FLANNEL D
OWN ON DE GROUND.  ALL DE BLACK FOLKS GRABBED FER IT.  DEN A LARGER PIECE WAS DR
APPED A LITTLE FURTHER ON, AND ON UNTIL DE RIVER WAS REACHED.  DEN A LARGE PIECE
 WAS DRAPPED IN DE RIVER AND ON DE OTHER SIDE.  DEY WAS LED ON, EACH ONE TRYING
TO GIT A PIECE AS IT WAS DRAPPED.  FINALLY, WHEN DE SHIP WAS REACHED, DEY DRAPPE
D LARGE PIECES ON DE PLANK AND UP INTO DE SHIP 'TILL DEY GOT AS MANY BLACKS ON B
OARD AS DEY WANTED.  DEN DE GATE WAS CHAINED UP AND DEY COULD NOT GET BACK.  DAT
 IS DE WAY GRANNY JUDITH SAY DEY GOT HER TO AMERICA.  OF COURSE SHE DID NOT EVEN
 KNOW DAT DE PIECES WAS RED FLANNEL, OR DAT SHE WAS BEING ENTICED AWAY.  DEY JUS
T DRAPPED RED FLANNEL TO DEM LIKE US DRAPS CORN TO CHICKENS TO GIT DEM ON DE ROO
ST AT NIGHT.
     WHEN DEY GOT ON BOARD DE SHIP DEY WERE TIED UNTIL DE SHIP GOT TO SEA; DEN D
EY WAS LET LOOSE TO WALK ABOUT 'CAUSE DEY COULDN'T JUMP OVERBOARD.  ON DE SHIP D
EY HAD MANY STRANGE THINGS TO EAT, AND DEY LIKED DAT.  DEY WAS GIVEN ENOUGH RED
FLANNEL TO WRAP AROUND DENSELVES.  SHE LIKED IT ON DE BOAT.  GRANNY JUDITH BORN
MILLIE, AND MILLIE BORN ME.  NO, I AIN'T NEVER HAD NO DESIRE TO GO TO AFRICA, KA
ISE I GWINE TO STAY WHAR I IS.
     UNCLE TOM COME 'LONG WID GRANNY JUDITH.  TWO WOMEN FOLKS COME WID DEM, ANUT
 CHANY AND DAPHNE.  AUNT CHANY AND AUNT DAPHNE WAS BOUGHT BY DE FREES DAT HAD A
PLANTATION NEAR JONESVILLE.  UNCLE TOM AND GRANNY WAS BOUGHT BY MARSE JIM GIST,
BUT DERE MARSTERS ALLUS 'LOWED DEM TO VISIT ON JULY 4TH AND CHRISTMAS.  WHEN DEY
 TALK, NOBODY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT DEY WAS TALKING ABOUT.  MY GRANNY NEVER COULD SPE
AK GOOD LIKE I CAN.  SHE TALK HALF AFRICAN, AND ALL AFRICAN WHEN SHE GIT BOTHERE
D.  NO, I CAN'T TALK NO AFRICAN.
     AFTER I WAS SEVENTEEN I DID ALL KINDS OF HOEING AND PLOWING AND OTHER FARM
WORK FER MY MARSTER.  HE SAID DAT BY DIS TIME, HIS LITTLE NIGGERS' BONES HAD DON
E GOT HARD ENOUGH FER DEM TO WORK.  WE HAD A DRIVER, A OLDER PERSON, DAT SHOWED
US HOW TO DO EVERYTHING RIGHT.  MARSE NEVER LET HIM OVER-WORK OR HURRY US.  WE L
IKED HIM- UNCLE JULY GIST, WE CALLED HIM AND DAT WAS HIS REAL NAME, TOO.  HIS WI
FE, AUNT SARA, WAS GOOD TO US; DEY BOTH BURIED AT WOODSON'S CHAPEL BAPTIST CHURC
H.
     FER MY FIRST TASK I HAD 1/4 OF AN ACRE IN TATERS, 'BACCA AND WATERMELONS DE
 FIRST YEAR.  SOME OF DE BOYS HAD 'PINDERS, CANTELOUPES AND MATISES IN DERE TASK
 OF 1/4  OF AN ACRE.
     DE NEXT YEAR, WE MADE CORN AND SOLD IT TO OUR MASTER FER WHATEVER HE GIVE U
S FER IT.  ALL DE USE WE HAD FER MONEY WAS TO BUY FISH HOOKS, BARLOWS, JUICE HAR
PS, AND MARBLES.  BOYS DID NOT USE 'BACCA DEN UNTIL DEY GOT TWENTY-ONE OR OVER.
 MARSE ALLUS CARRIED A ROLL OF MONEY AS BIG AS MY ARM.  HE WOULD COME TO DE QUAR
TER ON CHRISTMAS, JULY 4TH AND THANKSGIVING, AND GET UP ON A STUMP AND CALL ALL
THE CHILLUNS OUT.  DEN HE WOULD THROW MONEY TO 'EM.  DE CHILLUNS GIT DIMES, NICK
LES, QUARTERS, HALF-DOLLARS, AND DOLLARS.  AT CHRISTMAS HE WOULD THROW TEN DOLLA
R BILLS.  DE PARENTS WOULD TAKE DE FIVE AND TEN DOLLAR BILLS IN CHARGE, BUT MARS
E MADE DE LET DE CHILLUNS KEEP DE SMALL CHANGE.  I TELL YOU, AIN'T NEVER SEED SO
 MUCH MONEY SINCE MY MARSTER BEEN GONE.  HE BURIED AT FAIRFOREST PRESBYTERIAN CE
METERY AS WHITE FOLKS CALLS IT, BUT WE CALLS IT CEDAR GROVE.
     WHEN HE DIED, HE HAD SIXTEEN PLANTATIONS, YOU CAN SEE DAT AT DE COURTHOUSE
IN UNION.  ALL HIS DARKIES WENT IN A DROVE OF WAGONS TO HIS BURYING.  HE WAS KIL
LED BY DEM YANKEES IN VIRGINNY.  UNCLE WYLIE SMITH, HIS BODYGUARD, COME BACK WID
 HIS BODY AND TOLD US DAT MARSE WAS KILT BY A YANKEE.  MARSE JIM WAS A SENTINEL,
, AND DAT YANKEE SHOT HIM IN HIS NOSE, BUT STRANGE TO SAY, IT NEVER TORE HIS FAC
E UP NONE.  MISS SARA BURIED HIM IN HIS UNIFORM AND SHE WRAPPED A CONFEDEREATE F
E UP NONE.  MISS SARA BURIED HIM IN HIS UNIFORM AND SHE WRAPPED A CONFEDERATE FL
AG OVER DE TOP OF DE COFFIN.  UNCLE WYLIE PUT MASTER'S WATCH AROUND MISS SARA'S
NECK LIKE HE HAD DONE TOLD HIM TO DO WHEN HE GOT HOME.  MISS SARA CRIED AND US C
RIED, TOO.  JIM NEVER MARRIED AND DAT'S WHY MISS SARA TO DO EVERYTHING, KAISE SH
E WAS HIS SISTER WHAT LIVED WID HIM.
     MISTER, I RUN ON BROAD RIVER FER OVER 24 YEARS AS BOATMAN, CARRYING MARSE J
IM'S COTTON TO COLUMBIA FER HIM.  US HAD DE EXCITEMENT ON DEM TRIPS.  LOTS TIMES
 WATER WAS DEEPER DAN A TREE IS HIGH.  SOMETIMES I WAS THROWED AND FELL IN DE WA
TER.  I RISE UP EVERY TIME, THOUGH, AND FLOAT AND SWIM BACK TO DE BOAT AND GIT O
N AGAIN.  IF DE WEATHER BE HOT, I NEVER THINK OF CHANGING NO CLOTHES, BUT JUST K
EEP ON WHAT I GOT WET.  FIVE NIGGERS ALLUS WENT ON MARSE'S BOAT.  ONE MAN STEER
DE BOAT AND OF COURSE HE WAS DE STEERMAN, AND DAT WHAT HE WENT BY.  I RECOLLECTS
  WO STEERMANS, BRADLEY KENNEDY AND ANDY MCCLUNY.  CHARLIE GILLIAM6WAS DESECOND
 STEERMAN, BY DAT I MEANS DAT HE DE YOUNG NIGGER DAT BRADLEY AND ANDY HAD TO BRE
AK IN.
     SOMETIMES MARSTER HAVE THREE FLAT BOATS AGWINE DOWN AT ONE TIME, AND I HAS
RECOLLECTIONS OF AS MANY AS FIVE AGWINE FROM OUR PLANTATION; DAT WAS NOT SO OFTE
N, THOUGH.  US HAD LONG POLES TO STEER DE BOATS WID; DEN DERE WAS SOME PADDLES,
AND SOME OF DE NIGGERS WAS CALLED PRIVATES DAT HANDLED DE COTTON AND USED DE PAD
DLES WHEN DEY HAD TO BE USED.  YOU KNOWS DAT BATTEAUS WAS WHAT DEY ALWAYS USED D
E PADDLES WID.  PRIVATES DID DE SHOVING AND OTHER HEAVY WORK.  DE SECONDS AND DE
 PRIVATES ALLUS SHOVED WID DE POLES WHEN DE WATER WAS ROUGH, AND DE STEERMAN GIV
E ORDERS.  I WAS ALLUS A BOATMAN.
     CHARLIE GILLIAM ACTED AS BOATMAN, SOME; AND DEN DE OTHER BOATMEN WAS:  BILL
8HUGHES, WARREN WORTHY, GREEN STOKES, AND JOHN GLENN.  DEY MADE DE POLES TO SUIT
 DE JOB.  SOME OF DE POLES WAS LONGER DAN OTHERS WAS.  SOME OF DEM WAS BROAD AND
 FLAT AT DE END; OTHERS WAS BLUNT AND OTHERS WAS MADE SHARP.  WHEN DE BROAD RIVE
R ROSE, SOMETIMES DE WAVES GOT HIGHER DAN MY HOUSE DAR.  DEN IT WAS A REAL JOB T
O HANDLE ONE OF MARSE'S BOATS.  FACT IS, IT WAS FIVE MEN'S JOBS.  WID WATER AROA
RING AND AFOAMING AND AGWINE ROUND YOU LIKE A MAD TIGER ABLOWING HIS BREATH, SO
DAT YOU WAS FEER'D DAT ALL YOUR MARSTER'S COTTON GWINE TO BE SPLIT, YOU HAD TO B
E UP AND ADOING SOMETHING REAL FAST.  SOMETIMES DAT RIVER TAKE YOUR BOAT ROUND A
ND ROUND LIKE A MERRY-GO-ROUND, 'TIL YOU GIT SO SWIMMY-HEADED DAT YOU HAVE TO PU
KE UP ALL DE VICTUALS DAT YOU DONE EAT.  DEN IT SWING FROM DAT WHIRL INTO A SWIF
T STREAM DAT TAKE YOU A MILE A MINUTE, YES SIR, A MILE A MINUTE FER I DON'T KNOW
 HOW FER.
     DEN YOU SEE A TREE ACOMING RIGHT STRAIGHT TO YOU.  IF DE BOAT HIT DAT TREE,
 yOU KNOWED DAT YOU BE BUSTED INTO A MILLION PIECES.  YOU HAD tO&GIT yOuRPOLES
AND SOMEBODY HAD TO LET A POLE HIT DAT TREE AHEAD OF DE BOAT.  OF COURSE DAT CHA
NGE DE BOAT'S COURSE FROM DE TREE AND YOU WENT SAILING ON BY.  ONCE IN A FRESHET
 US RACED TWENTY-FIVE MILES IN TWENTY-FIVE MINUTES.  MARSE JIM WAS WID US DAT TI
ME, AND HE TOLE US SO BY HIS WATCH.  DE WATER AJUMPING REAL HIGH AND DAT BOAT AJ
UMPING STILL WUSSER MADE ME SO SKEER'T DAT I JUST SHAKE IN MY KNEES AND ALL DE W
AY UP AND DOWN MY LEGS.
     ON DIS TRIP WE HAD WENT PLUMB UP IN NORTH CAROLINA.  US NEVER HAD BEEN DAT
FER UP BEFO'.  I AIN'T NEVER SEED NORTH CAROLINA BEFO'; NEITHER IS I SEED IT SIN
CE.  BROAD RIVER WAS REAL NARROW WHEN WE WENT UP AND SHE LOOK LIKE A LAMB; BUT W
HEN WE COME DOWN IT HAD DONE AND TUCK AND RAINED AND DEM BANKS WAS VANISHED . .
. BUT DAT WATER SHO DID RARE UP DAR TO GIT BACK IN ITS REGULAR CHANNEL.  DE ROCK
S UP DAR WAS MO' SCARY LOOKING DAT DEY IS WHAR IT RUN THROUGH UNION TO COLUMBIA.
  DAT NIGHT WE RUN INTO A NINE-MILE SHOAL.  COULDN'T NONE OF DE NIGGERS KEEP DAT
 BOAT OFF'N DAT SHOAL IT WAS SO POWERFUL . . . DAT IS, DE WATER JUST TUCK DAT BO
AT PLUMB SMACK OUT'N OUR HANDS.  BUT IT THROWED OUR BOAT IN SHALLOW WATER AND OF
  OURSE DAT MADE IT DRAG.  GOOD DAT IT NEVER DRUG OVER  O2\Hj PO KS---- jND DE
Y WAS SETTING ALL AROUND US - - BUT IT HAPPENED DAT IT HIT SAND.  WE CAMPED DAR
FER DE NIGHT.  BY MORNING WE HAD DONE GO A QUARTER MILE FROM DE CHANNEL.
     WHEN WE ET, WE WORKED DE BOAT OUT INTO DE MAIN CHANNEL AGAIN.  DEN WE STAKE
D HER TO A TREE AND TUCK A LOOK AROUND BEFO' WE STARTED DOWN STREAM FER UNION; D
AT SEEMED FER OFF RIGHT DEN.  FINALLY DE MASTER BOATMAN GIVE DE ORDER, "SHOVE OF
F, BOYS]"  WE SHOVED AND WE FELL INTO A CLEAR OPEN CHANNEL AND OUR BOAT WENT ASK
EETING DOWN STREAM.  WE NEVER HAD TO HIT A LICK, BUT SHE WENT SO FAST DAT WE WAS
 ALL SKEER'D TO TAKE A LONG BREATH.  FINALLY MARSTER SAID, "BOYS, SEE DEM WILLOW
 TREES DOWN YONDE; WELL, STEER HER TO RUN OVER DEM SO DAT SHE WILL SLACK HER SP
EED."  US DID, BUT IT NEVER DEADENED OUR SPEED A MITE, DAT US COULD SEE.  MARSTE
R SHAKE HIS HEAD AND 'LOW, "BOUND FER HELL, MAYBE, BOYS."
     GOT TO CHEROKEE FALLS, WID WATER SO HIGH COULDN'T TELL NO FALLS DAR.  MARST
ER SAY, "LAY HER TO DE RIGHT, WE CAN'T WRECK DIS BOAT WIDOUT PUTTING UP A HONEST
 MAN'S FIGHT."  DEN HE SAY, "IF US DOES, US'LL SHO GO TO HELL."  WE TRIED TO SWI
NG HER BY GRABBING TO A BIG WILLOW, AND WE BROKE A LOT OF LIMBS TRYING, BUT WE D
ID SWING HER AND SHE RUN A 100 YARDS WIDOUT STEERING, AND DE BOAT LANDED ON A LI
TTLE MOUNTAIN OF LAND, MARSE 'LOW, "AIN'T NEVER SEED SECH A OCEAN OF WATER SINCE
 I WAS EIGHTEEN YEARS OLD, DAMN IF I HAVE."  HE LOOK AT-ME jND SAY, !mON'TKNOW
WHETHER DICK WAS SCARED OR NOT, BUT HE SHO IS A BRAVE MAN."  I WAS ASETTING MY F
EETS ON LAND DEN, AND I LOOK AT HIM AND 'LOW, "NO SIR, I AIN'T SKEER'T, WHY I CO
ULD COME OVER DAT LITTLE PLACE IN MY BATEAU."  TRUTH IS DAT I WAS SO SKEER'T DAT
 I WASN'T SKEERT.  WE LAY OVER A DAY AND A HALF.  DE WATER HAD DONE RECEEDED BAC
K COME, AND WE COME 27 MUILES DOWN TO LOCKHART SHOALS IN DAT ONE DAY.  DE WATER
WAS STILL SO HIGH DAT WE RUN OVER DE SHOALS WIDOUT A TREMOR.  COME SAILING ON DO
WN TO FISH DAM AND WENT OVER DE FISH DAM AND NEVER KNOWED DAT IT WAS DAR.  DEN W
E LANDED AT DE ROAD WID EVERYBODY SAFE BUT STILL SCAR'T.
     DAR WAS TWO CHARLIE GILMORES . . . ONE WAS KIL'T RIGHT BELOW FISH DAM.  HE
WAS HIT ON DE HEAD BY A PRIVATE.  WHEN DE PRIVATE WAS CUTTING DE BOAT, CHARLIE G
OT IN DE WAY OF DE POLE AND IT HIT HIM IN ONE OF HIS TEMPLES AND HE FELL OVER IN
 DE WATER DEAD.  WHEN DEY GOT HIM, WASN'T NARRY DRAP OF WATER IN HIS LUNGS, DAT'
S HOW-COME US KNOWED DAT HE WAS KIL'T STRAIGHT OUT.  SOME SAYS DAT HE WAS HIT IN
 DE Y'ER, BUT ANYWAY IT WAS ON A TENDER SPOT AND DE LICK SHO mONE HrM   . NOTHI
NG WASN'T DONE TO DE PRIVATE, KAISE IT WAS ALL ACCIDENTAL AND MARSE AND EVERYBOD
Y FELT SORRY FER HIM.
     ON RIVER TRIPS, WE TOOK RATIONS SECH AS MEAT, BREAD AND CABAAGE, AND US&lOT
CH ALL DE FISH DAT WE WANTED AND HAD COFFEE.  WE EACH TOOK DAY IN AND DAY OUT TO
 COOK, DAT IS, ALL DEN DAT COULD HALF-WAY COOK DID DAT.
   X   XXX