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jer-‘1/25/ 37
Talk with ex—slave
	When the war began, the Nesbits and. other plantation owner s gi~ ouped toge thor ‚ packed tkieir wagons fall o~ supplies, took all of their slaves, and. started on a 3ou~i‘ney as refugees. They had. not gone very far when a band. of Y~ankee“soldiers overtook them, destroyed the wagons ‚ took seventy of the men prisoners and. marched. off taking ail o~ the horses, saying«~~ that they were on their way to Riohmond. and when they returned. there botild be no more masters and. slaves ‚ as the slaves . w oel d. be freed.. Some of the slaves followed. the ~nkees,“bat most of them remained. with their masters‘ faailies.

	They were not told. of their freedom immed.iatelyon the termination of the war, but learned. it a little later. As compensation, Mr. Nesbit promised them money ~œ‘ education. She deblares, however, that this promise was never fulfilled.

	Sarah Grayts recollections of slavery, for the most part, seem to be pleasant. She soins it up in the statement, “In spite of tke hardships we had. to go through at times, we had. a lot to be thankful for. There were frolics, and. we were given plenty of good food. to eat, especially after a wedding.“

	The aged ex—slave now lives with a few distant relatives. She is well oared for by a family for whom she worked. as a n~rse for 3~ years, and she declares that she is happy in he~‘ old age, feeling that her life has been usefully spent.