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	Interviewer	 Miss. Irene Robertson
	Per8O]1 iziterviewed	Warren Mc!1nnéy~ Hazen~ 4rkansaa

Age~~_ 85•~~• ~






	I was born in Edgefield County, South Carolina. I am eighty— five year8 old.. I was born a slave of George Strauter. I remembers hearing them say “Thank God Ize free as a jay bird.“ My ma was a slave in the field. I was eleven years old when freedom was declared. When I was little,~Mr. Strauter whipped. my ma. It hurt me bad as it did. her. I hated him. She was crying. I chunked him wi~th rocks. He run after me, but he did.n‘t catch me. There was twenty—five or thirty hands that worked in the field. They raised wheat, corn, oats, barle~~ and cotton. All the children that couldn‘ t work stayed at one house. Aunt Mat kept the babies and ~na1l children that couldn‘t go to the field. He had a gin and a shop. The shop was at the Thrk of the roads. When de war come on my papa went to build forts. He quit nia and took another woman. When de war closed ma

took her ~*‘f children, bundled em up and went to Augusta. The governnient give out rations there. My ma washed and ironed. People died in piles. I don‘t know till yet what was de matter. They said lt was the change of living. I seen five or six wooden, painted coffins piled up on wagons pass by our house. Loads passed every day lack you see Cotton pass here. Some said it was cholorea and some took consumption.