MARTIN JACKSON
     I HAVE ABOUT 85 YEARS OF GOOD MEMORY TO CALL ON.  I'M 90, NAD SO I'M NOT CO
UNTING MY FIRST FIVE YEARS OF LIFE.  I'LL TRY TO GIVE YOU AS CLEAR A PICTURE AS
I CAN.  IF YOU WANT TO GIVE ME A COPY OF WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO WRITE, I'LL APPRE
CIATE IT.  MAYBE SOME OF MY CHILDREN WOULD LIKE TO HAVE IT.
     I WAS HERE IN TEXAS WHEN THE CIVIL WAR WAS FIRST TALKED ABOUT.  I WAS HERE
WHEN THE WAR STARTED AND FOLLOWED MY YOUNG MASTER INTO IT WITH THE FIRST TEXAS C
AVALRY.  I WAS HERE DURING RECONSTRUCTION, AFTER THE WAR.  I WAS HERE DURING THE
 EUROPEAN WORLD WAR AND THE SECOND WEEK AFTER THE UNITED STATES DECLARED WAR ON
GERMANY I ENLISTED AS COOK AT CAMP LEON SPRINGS.
     THIS SOUNDS AS IF I LIKED THE WAR RACKET.  BUT, AS A MATTER OF FACT, I NEVE
R WORE A UNIFORM--GREY COAT OR KHAKI COAT--OR CARRIED A GUN, UNLESS IT HAPPENED
TO BE ONE WORTH SAVING AFTER SOME CONFEDERATE SOLDIER GOT SHOT.  I WAS OFFICIAL
LUGGER IN OF MEN THAT GOT WOUNDED, AND MIGHT HAVE BEEN CALLED A RED CROSS WORKER
 IF WE HAD HAD SUCH A CORPS CONNECTED WITH OUR COMPANY.  MY FATHER WAS HEAD COOK
 FOR THE BATTALION AND BETWEEN TIMES I HELPED HIM OUT WITH THE MESS.  THERE WAS
SOME DIFFERENCE IN THE FOOD SERVED TO SOLDIERS IN 1861 AND 1917]
     JUST WHAT MY FEELINGS WAS ABOUT THE WAR, I HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO FIGURE O
UT MYSELF.  I KNEW THE YANKS WERE GOING TO WIN, FROM THE BEGINNING.  I WANTED TH
EM TO WIN AND LICK US SOUTHERNERS, BUT I HOPED THEY WAS GOING TO DO IT WITHOUT W
IPING OUT OUR COMPANY.  I'LL COME BACK TO THAT IN A MINUTE.  AS I SAID, OUR COMP
ANY WAS THE FIRST TEXAS CAVALRY.  COLONEL BUCHELL WAS OUR COMMANDER.  HE WAS A F
ULL BLOODED GERMAN AND AS FINE A MAN AND A SOLDIER AS YOU EVER SAW.  HE WAS KILL
ED AT THE BATTLE OF MARSHALL AND DIED IN MY ARMS.  YOU MAY ALSO BE INTERESTED TO
 KNOW THAT MY OLD MASTER, ALVY FITZPATRICK, WAS THE GRANDFATHER OF GOVERNOR JIM
FERGUSON.
     LOTS OF OLD S3AVES CLOSES THE DOOR BEFORE THEY TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT THEIR D
AYS OF SLAVERY.  WHEN THE DOOR IS OPEN, THEY TELL HOW KIND THEIR MASTERS WAS AND
 HOW ROSY IT ALL WAS.  YOU CAN'T BLAME THEM FOR THIS, BECAUSE THEY HAD PLENTY OF
EARLY DISCIPLINE, MAKING THEM CAUTIOUS ABOUT SAYING ANYTHING UNCOMPLIMENTARY ABO
UT THEIR MASTERS.  I, MYSELF, WAS IN A LITTLE DIFFERENT POSITION THAN MOST SLAVE
S AND, AS A CONSEQUENCE, HAVE NO GRUDGES OR RESENTMENT.  HOWEVER, I CAN TELL YOU
 THE LIFE OF THE AVERAGE SLAVE WAS NOT ROSY.  THEY WERE DEALT OUT PLENTY OF CRUE
L SUFFERING.
     EVEN WITH MY GOOD TREATMENT, I SPENT MOST OF MY TIME PLANNING AND THINKING
OF RUNNING AWAY.  I COULD HAVE DONE IT EASY, BUT MY OLD FATHER USED TO SAY, NO U
SE RUNNING FROM BAD TO WORSE, HUNTING BETTER.  LOTS OF COLORED BOYS DID ESCAPE A
ND JOINED THE UNION ARMY, AND THERE ARE PLENTY OF THEM DRAWING PENSION TODAY.  M
Y FATHER WAS ALWAYS COUSELING ME.  HE SAID, EVERY MAN HAS TO SERVE GOD UNDER HIS
 OWN VINE AND FIG TREE.  HE KEPT POINTING OUT THAT THE WAR WASN'T GOING TO LAST
FOREVER, BUT THAT OUR FOREVER WAS GOING TO BE SPENT LIVING AMONG THE SOUTHERNERS
, AFTER THEY GOT LICKED.  HE'D CITE EXAMPLES OF HOW THE WHITES WOULD STAND FLAT
FOOTED AND FIGHT FOR THE BLACKS THE SAME AS FOR MEMBERS OF THEIR OWN FAMILY.  I
KNEW THAT ALL WAS TRUE, BUT STILL I REBELLED, FROM INSIDE OF ME.  I THINK I REAL
LY WAS AFRAID TO RUN AWAY, BECAUSE I THOUGHT MY CONSCIENCE WOULD HAUNT ME.  MY F
ATHER KNEW I FELT THIS WAY AND HE'D RUB MY FEARS IN DEEPER.  ONE OF HIS REMARKS
STILL RINGS IN MY EARS:  A CLEAR CONSCIENCE OPENS BOWELS, AND WHEN YOU HAVE A GU
ILTY SOUL IT TIES YOU UP AND DEATH WILL NOT FOR LONG DESERT YOU.
     I HAVEN'T HAD ANY EDUCATrON.  I SHOULD HAVE HAD ONE, THOUGH. -MY OLD MISSUS
 WAS SORRY, AFTER THE WAR, THAT SHE DIDN'T TEACH ME.  HER NAME BEFORE SHE MARRIE
D MY OLD MASTER WAS MRS LONG.  SHE LIVED IN NEW YORK CITY AND HAD THREE SONS.  W
HEN MY OLD MASTER'S WIFE DIED, HE WROTE UP TO A FRIEND OF HIS IN NEW YORK, A VER
Y PROMINENT MERCHANT NAMED C C STEWART.  HE TOLD THIS FRIEND HE WANTED A WIFE AN
D GAVE HIM SPECIFICATIONS FOR ONE.  WELL, MRS LONG, WHOSE HUSBAND HAD DIED, FITT
ED THE BILL AND SHE WAS SENT DOWN TO TEXAS.  SHE BECAME MRS FITZPATRICK.  SHE WA
SN'T THE GRANDMOTHER OF JOHN FERGUSON.  OLD FITZPATRICK HAD TWO WIVES THAT PRECE
DED MRS LONG.  ONE OF THE WIVES HAD A DAUGHTER NAMED FANNY FITZPATRICK AND IT WA
S HER THAT WAS THE TEXAS GOVERNOR'S MOTHER.  I SEEM TO HAVE THE COMPLICATED FAMI
LY TREE OF MY OLD MASTER MORE CLEAR THAN I'VE GOT MY OWN, ALTHOUGH MINE CAN BE P
UT IN A NUTSHELL]  I MARRIED ONLY ONCE AND WAS BLESSED IN IT WITH FORTY FIVE YEA
RS OF DEVOTION.  I HAD THIRTEEN CHILDREN AND A BIG CROP OF GRANDCHILDREN.
    -MY EARLIEST RECOLLECTION IS THE DAY MY OLD BOSS PRESENTED ME TO HIS SON, JO
E, AS HIS PROPERTY.  I WAS ABOUT FIVE YEARS OLD AND MY NEW MASTER WAS ONLY TWO.
     IT WAS IN THE BATTLE OF MARSHALL, IN LOUISIANA, THAT COLONEL BUCHELL GOT SH
OT.  I WAS ABOUT THREE MILES FROM THE FRONT, WHERE I HAD PITCHED UP A KIND OF FI
RST AID STATION.  I WAS ALL ALONE THERE.  I WATCHED THE WHOLE THING.  I COULD HE
AR THE SHOOTING AND SEE THE FIRING.  I REMEMBER STANDING THERE AND THINKING THE
SOUTH DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE.  ALL OF A SUDDEN I HEARD SOMEONE CALL.  IT WAS A SOL
DIER, WHO WAS HALF CARRYING COLONEL BUCHELL IN.  I DIDN'T DO NOTHING FOR THE COL
ONEL.  HE WAS TOO FAR GONE.  I JUST HELD HIM COMFORTABLE, AND THAT WAS THE POSIT
ION HE WAS IN WHEN HE STOPPED BREATHING.  THAT WAS THE WORST HURT I GOT WHEN ANY
BODY DIED.  HE WAS A  FRIEND OF MINE.  HE HAD HAD A LOT OF SOLDIERING BEFORE AND
 FOUGHT rN THE INDIAN WAR.
     WELL, THE BATTLE OF MARSHALL BROKE THE BACK OF THE TEXAS CAVALRY.  WE BEGAN
 STRAGGLING BACK TOWARD NEW ORLEANS, AND BY THAT TIME THE WAR WAS OVER.  THE SOL
DIERS BEGAN TO SCATTER.  THEY WAS A SORRY LOOKIN' BUNCH OF LOST SHEEP.  THEY DID
N'T KNOW WHERE TO GO, BUT MOST OF 'EM ENDED UP PRETTY CLOSE TO THE TOWNS THEY ST
ARTED FROM.  THEY WAS LIKE HOMING PIGEONS, WITH ONLY THE INSTINCT TO GO HOME AND
 YET,-MOST-OF THnM HADNO HOMES TO GO TO.
     I NEVER WENT INTO BOOKS.  I USED TO HANDLE A BIG DICTIONARY THREE TIMES A D
AY, BUT IT WAS ONLY TO PUT IT ON A CHAIR SO MY YOUNG MASTER COULD SIT UP HIGHER
AT THE TABLE.  I NEVER WENT TO SCHOOL.  I LEARNED TO TALK PRETTY GOOD BY ASSOCIA
TING WITH MY MASTERS IN THEIR BIG HOUSE.
     WE LIVED ON A RANCH OF ABOUT 1000 ACRES CLOSE TO THE JACKSON COUNTY LINE IN
 VICtORIA lOuNTY, ABOUT 125 MILES FROM SAN ANTONIO.  JUST BEFORE THE WAR ENDED T
HEY SOLD  THE RANCH SLAVES AND ALL, AND THE FAMILY, NOT AWAY FIGHTING, MOVED TO
GALVESTON.  OF COURSE  MY FATHER AND ME WASN'T SOLD WITH THE OTHER BLACKS BECAUS
E WE WAS AWAY AT WAR.
     MY MOTHER WAS DROWNED YEARS BEFORE WHEN I WAS A LITTLE BOY.  I ONLY REMEMBE
R HER AFTER SHE WAS DEAD.  I CAN TAKE YOU TO THE SPOT IN THE RIVER TODAY WHERE S
HE WAS DROWNED.  SHE DROWNED HERSELF.  I NEVER KNEW THE REASON BEHIND IT, BUT IT
 WAS SAID SHE STARTED TO LOSE HER MIND AND PREFERRED DEATH TO THAT.
     THE MASTER'S NAME WAS USUALLY ADOPTED BY A SLAVE AFTER HE WAS SET6FREE.  ,H
IS WAS DONE MORE BECAUSE IT WAS THE LOGICAL THING TO DO AND THE EASIEST WAY TO B
E IDENTIFIED THAN IT WAS THROUGH AFFECTION FOR THE MASTER.  ALSO, THE GOVERNMENT
 SEEMED TO BE IN A ALMIGHTY HURRY TO HAVE US GET NAMES.  WE HAD TO REGISTER AS S
ONEONE, SO WE COULD BE CITIZENS.  WELL, I GOT TO THINKING ABOUT ALL US SLAVES TH
AT WAS GOING TO TAKE THE NAME FITZPATRICK.  I MADE UP MY MIND I'D FIND ME A DIFF
ERENT ONE.  ONE OF MY GRANDFATHERS IN AFRICA WAS CALLED JEACEO, AND SO I DECIDED
 TO BE JACKSON.