‘_)(
2.
	“One time I was totin‘ water tor the woman what did the washin‘. I was gain‘ along the road and seed somethin‘ up in a tree that look like a dog. I said ‘Look at that dog. ‚ The overseer was comin‘ from the house and said ‘That ain‘t no dog, that‘s a panther. You better not stop‘ and he shot it out. Then I‘ve seen bears out iii the cane brakes. I thought they was big black bulla. I was young then —~ yes maw, I was young.

	“When the Yankees cc~ne through they sot the house afire and the gin and burned up ‘bout a hundred bales a cotton. They never bothered the niggers‘ quarters. That was the time the overseer carried us to Texas to get rid of the Yankees.

	“After the surrender the Yankees told the overseer to bring us all up in the front yard so he could read us the ceremony and he said .:we wa8 as free as any white man that walked the ground. I didn‘t

know what ‚ twas about much cause I was too busy	‚.

	WI didn‘t know what school was ‘fore freedom, ~it I went about a month after peace was declared. Then papa died and mama took me out and put ins in the field.

	“I was grown, ‘bout twenty~four or five, when I married. Now my ohillun and grand chillun takes care of me.“