PRINCE JOHNSON
     I SURE CAN TELL ALL ABOUT SLAVERY 'CAUSE I WAS DERE WHEN IT ALL HAPPENED.
MY GRANDPA, PETER, GRANDMA, MILLIE, MY PA, JOHN, AND MY MA FRANCES, ALL COME FRO
M ALABAMA TO YAZOO COUNTY TO LIVE IN DE LOVE FAMILY.  DEY NAMES WAS DENNIS WHEN
DE COME BUT, AFTER DE CUSTOM O' DEM DAYS, DEY TOOK DE NAME O' LOVE FROM DEY NEW
OWNER.  ME AND ALL O' MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS WAS BORN RIGHT DERE.  DEY WAS ELEV
EN O' US.  I WAS DE OLDEST.  DEN COME HARRY, JOHN, WILLIAM, HENRY, PHYLLIS, POLL
Y, NELLIE, VIRGINNY, MILLIE, AND DE BABY, ELLA.
     US ALL LIVED IN DE QUARTERS AND DE BEDS WAS HOMEMADE.  DEY HAD WOODEN LEGS
WITH CANVAS STRETCHED ACROSS 'EM.  I CAN'T 'MEMBER SO MUCH ABOUT DE QUARTERS 'CA
USE ABOUT DAT TIME DE YOUNG MISS MARRIED COLONEL JOHNSON AND MOVED TO DIS PLACE
IN CARROLL COUNTY.  SHE CARRIED WITH HER OVER 100 HEAD O' DARKIES.
     DEN US NAMES WAS CHANGED FROM LOVE TO JOHNSON.  MY NEW MASTER WAS SURE A FI
NE GENTLEMAN.  HE LIVED IN A BIG TWO STORY HOUSE DAT HAD BIG WHITE POSTS IN FRON
T.  DE FLOWERS ALL ROUND IT JUST SET IT OFF.
    MARSTER TOOK ME FOR DE HOUSE BOY.  DEN I SURE CARRIED MY HEAD HIGH.  HE'D S
AY TO ME, PRINCE, DOES YOU KNOW WHO YOU IS NAMED FOR?  AND I'D SAY TO HIM, YES S
IR, PRINCE ALBERT.  AND DEN HE'D SAY TO ME,  WELL, ALWAYS CARRY YOURSELF LIKE HE
 DID.  TO THIS DAY I HOLDS MYSELF LIKE MARSTER SAID.
     ON CERTAIN DAYS O' DE WEEK ONE O' DE OLD MEN ON DE PLACE TOOK US HOUSE SERV
ANTS TO DE FIELD TO LEARN US TO WORK.  US WAS BROUGHT UP TO KNOW HOW TO DO ANYTH
ING DAT COME TO HAND.  MARSTER WOULD LET US WORK AT ODD TIMES FOR OUTSIDERS, AND
 US COULD USE DE MONEY FOR ANYTHING US PLEASED.  MY GRANDMA SOLD 'NOUGH CORN TO
 BUY HER 2 FEATHERBEDS.
     US ALWAYS HAD PLENTY TO EAT.  DE  OLE FOLKS DONE DE COOKIN' FOR ALL DE FIEL
D HANDS, 'CEPT ON SUNDAY WHEN EVERY FAMILY COOKED FOR DEY OWNSELFS.  OLD MISS WO
ULD COME OVER EVERY SUNDAY MORNIN' WITH SUGAR AND WHITE FLOUR.  US WOULD MOST GE
NERALLY HAVE FISH, RABBITS, POSSUMS, OR COONS.  LORD, DEM POSSUMS WAS GOOD
EATIN'.  MY MARSTER HAD A GREAT BIG GARDEN FOR EVERYBODY AND I AIN'T NEVER SEEN
SUCH 'TATERS AS GROWED IN DAT GARDEN.  DEY WAS SO SWEET DE SUGAR WOULD BUST RIGH
T THROUGH DE PEELIN' WHEN YOU ROASTED 'EM IN DE ASHES.  OLD AUNT EMILY COOKED FO
R ALL DE CHILLEN ON DE PLACE.  HALF AN HOUR BY DE SUN, DEY WAS ALL CALLED IN TO
 SUPPER.   DEY HAD POT LIKKER AND ASH CAKE AND SUCH THINGS AS WOULD MAKE 'EM GRO
W.
     CHILLEN DEN DIDN'T KNWO NOTHIN' ABOUT ALL DE FANCY AILMENTS WHAT CHILLEN HA
VE NOW.  DEY RUN AND PLAYED ALL DAY IN DEY SHIRT TAILS IN DE SUMMERTIME.  WHEN D
E WINTER COME DEY HAD GOOD WARM CLOTHES SAME AS US OLDER ONES.
    -ONE DAY-MASTnR'S CHrLLnN AND DE CULLUD CHILLEN SLIPPED OFF TO DE ORCHARD.
 DEY WAS JUST A EATIN' GREEN APPLES FAST AS DEY COULD WHEN ALONG COME DE MASTER,
 HISSELF.  HE LINED 'EM ALL UP, BLACK AND WHITE ALIKE, AND CUT A KEEN SWITCH.  '
TWANT A ONE IN DAT LINE DAT DIDN'T GET A FEW LICKS.  DEN HE CALLED DE OLD DOCTOR
 WOMAN AND MADE HER GIVE 'EM EVERY ONE A DOSE O' MEDICINE.  DEY DIDN'T A ONE OF
'EM GET SICK.
     MARSTER AND OLD MISS HAD FIVE CHILLEN.  DEY IS ALL DEAD AND GONE NOW, AND I
'SE STILL HERE.  ONE O' HIS SONS WAS A SUPREME UDGE BEFORE HE DIED.  MY FOLKS W
AS SURE QUALITY.  MARSTER BOUGHT ALL DE LITTLE PLACES ROUND US SO HE WOULDN'T HA
VE NO POOR WHITE TRASH NEIGHBORS.  HE OWNED ABOUT 3500 ACRES AND AT LEAST 150 SL
AVES.
     EVERY MORNIN' ABOUT FOUR 'CLOCK US COULD HEAR DAT HORN BLOW FOR US TO GET U
P AND GO TO DE FIELD.  US ALWAYS QUIT WORK BEFORE DE SUN WENT DOWN AND NEVER WOR
KED AT NIGHT.  DE OVERSEER WAS A WHITE MAN.  HIS NAME WAS JOSH NEIGHBORS, BUT DE
 DRIVER WAS A CULLUD MAN, OLD MAN HENRY.  HE WASN'T ALLOWED TO MISTREAT NOBODY.
 IF HE pOT TOO UPPITY DEY'D CjLL HIS HAND, RIGHT NOW.  DE-RuLE WAS, IF A NIGGER
WOULDN'T WORK HE MUST BE SOLD.  ANOTHER RULE ON DAT PLACE WAS DAT IF A MAN GOT D
ISSATISFIED, HE WAS TO GO TO DE MARSTER AND ASK HIM TO PUT HIM IN HIS POCKET .
DAT MEANT HE WANTED TO BE SOLD AND DE MONEY HE BROUGHT PUT IN DE MARSTER'S POCKE
T.  I AIN'T NEVER KNOWN O' BUT TWO ASKIN' TO BE PUT IN DE POCKET.  BOTH OF 'EM W
AS SOLD.
     DEY HAD JAILS IN DEM DAYS, BUT DEY WAS BUILT FOR WHITE FOLKS.  NO CULLUD PE
RSON WAS EVER PUT IN ONE OF 'EM TILL AFTER DE WAR.  US DIDN'T KNOW NOTHIN' ABOUT
 DEM THINGS.  COURSE, OLD MISS KNOWED ABOUT 'EM, 'CAUSE SHE KNOWED EVERYTHING.
I RECOLLECT SHE TOLD ME ONE DAY DAT SHE HAD LEARNIN' IN FIVE DIFFERENT
LANGUAGES.
     NONE O' US DIDN'T HAVE NO LEARNIN' AT ALL.  DAT IS US DIDN'T HAVE NO BOOK L
EARNIN'.  'TWARN'T NO TEACHERS OR ANYTHING LIKE DAT, BUT US SURE WAS TAUGHT TO B
E CHRISTIANS.  EVERYTHING ON DAT PLACE WAS A BLUE STOCKIN' PRESBYTERIAN.  WHEN S
UNDAY COME US DRESSED ALL CLEAN AND NICE AND WENT TO CHURCH.  US WENT TO DE WHIT
E FOLKS' CHURCH AND SET IN DE GALLERY.
     US HAD A FINE PREACHER.  HIS NAME WAS GOBER.  HE COULD SURE GIVE OUT DE WOR
DS O' WISDOM.  US DIDN'T HAVE BIG BAPTISMS LIKE WAS HAD ON A HEAP O' PLACES, 'CA
USE PRESBYTERIANS DON'T GO UNDER DE WATER LIKE DE BAPTISTS DO.  IF ONE O' DE SLA
VES DIED DE WAS SURE GIVE A GRAND CHRISTIAN FUNERAL.  ALL O' US MOURNERS WAS ON
8HAND.  SERVICES WAS CONDUCTED BY DE WHITE PREACHER.
     OLD MISS WOULDN'T STAND FOR NO SUCH THINGS AS VOODOO AND HAUNTS.  WHEN SHE
INSPECTED US ONCE A WEEK, YOU BETTER NOT HAVE NO CHARM ROUND YOUR  NECK NEITHER.
  SHE WOULDN'T EVEN ALLOW US WEAR A BAG O' ASFITTIDY.  MOST FOLKS BELIEVED DAT W
OULD KEEP OFF SICKNESS.  SHE CALLED SUCH AS DAT SUPERSTITION.  SHE SAY US WAS EN
LIGHTENED CHRISTIAN PRESBYTERIANS, AND AS SUCH US MUST CONDUCT OURSELFS.
     NOBODY WORKED AFTER DINNER ON SATURDAY.  US TOOK DAT TIME GO SCRUB UP AND C
LEAN DE HOUSES SO AS TO BE READY FOR INSPECTION SUNDAY MORNIN'.  SOME SATURDAY N
IGHTS US HAD DANCES.  DE SAME OLD FIDDLER PLAYED FOR US DAT PLAYED FOR DE WHITE
FOLKS.  AND HE SURE COULD PLAY.  WHEN HE GOT DAT OLD FIDDLE OUT YOU COULDN'T KEE
P YOUR FOOTS STILL.
     CHRISTMAS WAS DE TIME O' ALL TIMES ON DAT OLD PLANTATION.  DEY DON'T HAVE N
O SUCH AS DAT NOW.  EVERY CHILD BROUGHT A STOCKIN' UP TO DE BIG HOUSE TO BE FILL
ED.  DEY ALL WANTED ONE O' DE MISTIS' STOCKIN'S 'CAUSE NOW SHE WEIGHED NIGH ON T
O 300 POUNDS.  CANDY AND PRESENTS WAS PUT IN PILES FOR EVERYONE.  WHEN DE NAMES
WAS CALLED DEY WALKED UP AND GOT IT.  US DIDN'T WORK ON NEW YEAR'S DAY.  US COUL
D GO TO TOWN OR ANYWHERE US WANTED TO.
     DE MOST FUN WAS DE CORN SHUCKIN'  DEY WAS TWO CAPTAINS AND EACH ONE PICKED
DE ONES HE WANTED ON HIS SIDE.  DEN DE SHUCKIN' STARTED.  YOU CAN'T MAKE MENTION
 O' NOTHIN' GOOD DAT US DIDN'T HAVE TO EAT AFTER DE SHUCKIN'.  I STILL STUDIES A
BOUT DEM DAYS NOW.  DEY WAS BIG PARTIES AT DE WHITE FOLKS' HOUSE, ME, ALL DRESSE
D UP WITH TALLOW ON MY FACE TO MAKE IT SHINE, ASERVIN' DE GUESTS.
     ONE TIME, JUST WHEN EVER'THING WAS AGOIN' FINE, A SAD THING HAPPENED.  MY8Y
OUNG MISTIS, DE ONE NAMED FOR HER MA, UPS AND RUNS OFF WITH DE SON O' DE IRISH D
ITCH DIGGER AND MARRIES HIM.  SHE WOULDN'T A DONE IT IF DEY'D A LET HER MARRY DE
 MAN SHE WANTED.  DEY DIDN'T THINK HE WAS GOOD ENOUGH FOR HER.  SO JUST TO SPITE
 'EM, SHE MARRIED DE DITCH DIGGER'S SON.  OLD MISS WOULDN'T HAVE NOTHIN' MORE TO
 DO WITH HER, SAME AS IF SHE WEREN'T HER OWN CHILD.  BUT I'D TO OVER TO SEE HER
 AND CARRY MILK AND THINGS OUT O' DE GARDEN.
     IT WAS PITIFuL tO SEE-MY LITTLE MISS POOR.  WHEN I COULDN'T STAND IT NO MOR
E I WALKS RIGHT UP TO OLD MISS AND I SAYS, OLD MISS DOES YOU KNOW MISS FARRELL A
IN'T GOT NO COW.  SHE JUST ACT LIKE SHE AIN'T HEARD ME, AND PUT HER LIPS TOGETHE
R DAT TIGHT.  I COULDN'T DO NOTHIN' BUT WALK OFF AND LEAVE HER.  PRETTY SOON SHE
 CALLED, PRINCE]  SHE SAYS,  SEEIN' YOU IS SO CONCERNED ABOUT MISS FARRELL NOT H
AVIN' NO COW, YOU BETTER TAKE ONE TO HER.  I FOUND DE ROPE AND CARRIED DE BEST C
OW IN DE LOT TO MISS FARRELL.
     SHORTLY AFTER DAT I LEFT WITH OLD MARSTER TO GO TO NORTH CAROLINA.  JUST BE
FORE DE WAR COME ON, MY MARSTER CALLED ME TO HIM AND TOLD ME HE WAS AGOIN' TO TA
KE ME TO NORTH CAROLINA TO HIS BROTHER FOR SAFE KEEPIN'.  RIGHT DEN I KNOWED SOM
ETHIN' WAS WRONG.  I WAS A WISHIN' FROM DE BOTTOM O' MY HEART DAT DE YANKEES WOU
LD STAY OUT O' US BUSINESS AND NOT GET US ALL DISTURBED IN DE MIND.
     THINGS WENT ON AT HIS BROTHER'S PLACE ABOUT LIKE DEY DONE AT HOME.  I STAYE
D DERE ALL FOUR YEARS O' DE WAR.  I COULDN'T LEAVE 'CAUSE DE MEN FOLKS ALL WENT
TO DE WAR AND I HAD TO STAY AND PROTECT DE WOMENFOLKS.
     DE DAY PEACE WAS DECLARED WAGON LOADS O' PEOPLE RODE ALL TqROUGH DE PLACE A
TELLIN' US ABOUT BEIN' FREE.  DE OLD COLONEL WAS KILLED IN BATTLE AND HIS WIFE H
AD DIED.  DE YOUNG MARSTER CALLED US IN AND SAID IT WAS ALL TRUE.  DAT US WAS FR
EE AS HE WAS, AND US COULD LEAVE WHENEVER US GOT READY.  HE SAID HIS MONEY WEREN
'T NO GOOD ANYMORE AND HE DIDN'T HAVE NO OTHER TO PAY US WITH.  I CAN'T RECOLLEC
T IF HE GOT NEW MONEY AND PAID US OR NOT.
     I NEVER LEFT DAT PLACE TILL MY YOUNG MARSTER, MR JIM JOHNSON, DE ONE DAT WA
S DE SUPREME JUDGE, COME FOR ME.  WE WAS ALIVIN' IN SOUTH CAROLINA DEN.  HE TOOK
 US jLL qOME WITH HrM.  US pOT DnRE rN TrME tO VOTE FOR GOVENOR WADE HAMPtON.  U
S PUT HIM IN OFFICE, TOO.  DE FIRST THING I DONE WAS JOIN THE DEMOCRAT CLUB AND
 HELPED 'EM RUN ALL O' DE SCALAWAGS AWAY FROM DE PLACE.  MY YOUNG MARSTER HAD AL
WAYS TOLD ME TO LIVE FOR MY COUNTRY AND I HAD SEEN 'NOUGH O' DAT WAR TO KNOW JUS
T WHAT WAS AGOIN' ON.
     I'SE SEEN -MANY A PATROL IN MY LIFETIME; BUT DEY DASSENT COME ON US PLACE.
NOW DE KLOO KLUXES WAS DIFFERENT.  I RID WITH 'EM MANY A TIME.  'TWAS DE ONLY WA
Y IN DEM DAYS TO KEEP ORDER.
     WHEN I WAS ABOUT 22 YEAR OLD, I MARRIED CLARA BREADEN.  I HAD TWO CHILLnN B
Y HER, DIANA AND DAVIS.  MY SECOND WIFE'S NAME WAS ANNIE BET WOODS.  I HAD 6 CHI
LLEN BY HER:  MARY, ELLA, JOHN D, CLAUD, WILLIAM, AND PRINCE JUNIOR.  3 BOYS AND
 TWO GALS IS STILL LIVIN'.  I LIVES WITH MY DAUGHTER, CLAUD, WHAT IS FARMIN' A P
LACE ABOUT FIVE MILES FROM CLARKSDALE.  I HAS ABOUT FIFTEEN HEAD O' GRANDCHILLEN
 jND EVnRY-LAST-ONE OF 'nMS'S FjRMnRS.
   X   XXX