.	~ 84




~5iu.



	My faraily lived continuoûsly on the Mappin plantation until after the wai‘. Perhaps the zaost grievous fault of slavery was its persistent assault upon the home life. Fortunately, none or our family was ever sold, and we remained together until after the war. Marster Mappirt was far above the average slave owner; he was good to his slaves, fed theni well, and was a very humane gentieman. We had such quantities of food- good rations, whLoh~.was raised on the plantation. Vie had cattle, goats, hogs, sheep, chickens, turkeys, geese, all kinds or grqin, etc. Very often a beef was butchered, we had fresh meat, barbecued kids, plenty vegetables, in tact just plenty to eat, and the slaves fared well. on Sundays we had pies and cakes and one thing and another. A special cook did the cooking tor the single slaves. I‘ll say our rations were 150% tit. zveryone had certain tasks to pertorm, and all that was done above certain requirements was paid for in some way. We always had meat left over from year to year, and this old meat was made into soapk ~ ~ grease and ]4e and boiling all in a big iron pote ~ter the mixture become cold, it b~~e a solid lilass, which was cut and used for soap. Those were good old deys. Everybody had plenty of everything.

	There were strict rules governing slaves,, but our master was never brutal. I being a child, never received any punishment from any one except my mother and my Mistress. Punishment was inflicted with a raw cow hide, which was cut in a strip about three inches wide ‚ one end be Ing twisted • This made a very powerful and painful weapon. There were unruly slaves, what we called desperadoes. There were ‚ speculators‘ ‚ too ‚ who would get possession of these ‚ and if a slave come into possession of one of these speculrs, he either