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	‚	.	&della S. Di~n


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Old Slave Story


On rune 25 ‚ 1824 ‚ a son was born to Waahington and Clara Towns who resided In Richniond, Virginia. This was the fourth child 1~a a t~iily which finally nuinbei‘ed thirtec~n. Phil, as he was called, does not recall

many incidenta on this eatate aa the family moved when he was in hi8
s
~ei13. ~ ~ia grandtather aad grandmother ~re brought here trc~n Ati~ica and

~.	their ieecription ot tue cruei treat~nt they received is his most vivid recollection. His grandmother, Hannah, livd to be 129 years ot age.
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Mi“. George Towns, called ~~overnorR ~y ai]. of his alavea as well aa hie intimate friande, moved to Georgia and settled at Reynolde in Taylor County. Th~i‘e he purchased a huge tract ot land-.- 1350 acrea~- and built hie new hox~ upon this level ax‘e~ on the Flint River, The “big house ‚ „ a large unpainted atxucture which housed a ~iily of eighteen, wae in tiz mici~t of a grove of treea near ti‘e highway that foi~d one of the divisions of the plantation. It was again divided by a. local railway nearly a mile froxit the rear of the house • Eighty.~e igIit slave s were housed in the ~quarters“ which were on
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each side of the I4ghway a little below the	~ a hoene.


These “quartera“ diffei‘ed fran those foi~nd iii the surrounding territory as

the size of the hOuses varied with the niniiber in the f~aily. The interiors ~ lie nicely furnished and in most instances the fatailie s were able to secure a~y furniture they desired. Feather rnattreasea, trundle beds and cribs were coemnon and in families where there were many children, large fireplaces some as niany as eight feet wide - ~re provided so that every o~a might be
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