K IN DE FIELD. I HAD TWO SISTER NAME CASS AND DONNIE AND A BRUDDER NAME WASHINGT
JINES DE UNITED STATES ARMY. WE'S SENT TO TEXAS 'COUNT OF DE INDIANS BEIN' SO BA
IRAN NELSON                  1286-ARK/#044                                   027
         YES MA'M, THEY FOTCH ME FROM MISSISSIPPI TO ARKANSAS ON THE STEAMBOAT -
YOU KNOW THEY DIDN'T HAVERAILROADS THEN. THEY FOTCH MY MOTHER AND THEY WENT BACK
AFTER GRANDFATHER AND GRANDMOTHER TOO.
         DOCTOR NOELL WAS OUR MASTER AND HE HAD US UNDER MORTGAGE TO HIS BROTHER
-IN-LAW. THEY FOTCHED US HERE TILL HE COULD GET STRAIGHT FROM THAT DEBT, BUT FOR
E THAT COULD BE, WE GOT FREE.
         I KNOWED SLAVERY TIMES. I MEMBER SEEIN' EM LASH SOME OF THE REST BUT YO
U KNOW I WASN'T BIG ENOUGH TO PUT IN THE FIELD. OLD MISTRESS SAY WHEN I GOT BIG
ENOUGH, SHE GOIN' TAKE ME FOR A HOUSE GIRL. WHEN THEY FOTCHED MAMA AND GRANDMOTH
ER HERE THEY HAD EIGHTY SOME ODD HEAD OF NIGGERS. THEY WAS GWINE CARRY EM BACK H
OME AFTER THEY GOT THAT MORTGAGE PAID BUT THE WAR COME.
         I MEMBER WHEN THE YANKEES COME, MY WHITE FOLKS WOULD RUN AND HIDE AND H
IDE US COLORED FOLKS TOO. BOSS MAN HAD THE COLORED FOLKS GET ALL THE MEAT OUT OF
THE SMOKEHOUSE AND HIDE IT IN THE PEACH ORCHARD IN THE GRASS.
         I USED TO PL Y WITH OLD MISTRESS DAU!HTER AD I(.6WEWOULD PLAY IN THE P
ARLOR AND AFTER WE MOVED TO TOWN SOME OF THE LITTLE GIRLS WOULD PICK UP AND GO H
OME. YOU KNOW THESE TOWN FOLKS DIDN'T BELIEVE IN PLAYIN' WITH THE COLORED FOLKS.
         AFTER MAMA WAS FREE SHE STAYED RIGHT THERE ON THE PLACE AND MADE A  P
. RAISED EIGHT HUNDRED BALES AND THE AVERAGE WAS NINE. MAMA PLOWED AND HOED TOO.
I HAD TO WORK RIGHT WITH HER TOO.
         I NEVER WENT TO SCHOOL BUT ONCE. I LEARNED MY ABC'S BUT COULDN'T REA<.
MY NEXT ABC'S WAS A HOE IN MY HAND. MAMA HAD A SWITCH RIGHT UNDER HER BELT. I WO
RKED BUT I COULDN'T KEEP UP. JUST SEEIN' THAT SWITCH WAS ENOUGH. I HAD A PRETTY
GOOD TIME WHEN I WAS YOUNG, BUT I HAD TO GO ALL THE TIME.
  X   XXX
STP