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Lawrence Uouuty	~‘~‘Y TU.t~01‘
District #~	Bedrd, • Indiana »	8
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R~INISC~NC~~3 OF IWO ~X-~LLV~E~9 .



References:

A.	Thomas Ash, ex-8lave, Mitchell, md.

B.	Mrs. Mary Crane, ex—slave, ~iarren St., Mtchell, lud.


	I have no way of knowing exactly how old I am, as the old Bible containing a record of my birth was destroyed by fire, n~ny yeare ago, but I believe I am about eighty—one years old. If so, I must have been born sometime during the year, 1856, four years before the outbreak of the War Between The States. My nother was a slave on the plantation, or farm of Charles A8h, in Anderson county, Kentucky, and it was there that I grew up.

	I rozue~ber playing with 01‘ X~ssa‘s (as he was called) boys, Charley, ~rim and 13i11. I also have an unpleasant memory of having seen other slaves on the place, tied up to the whipping post and flogged for disobeying soins order althougl I have no recollection of ever having been whipped myself as I was only a boy. I can also remember how the grown—up negroes on the pla ce le ft to jo in the• Union Army as soon as they learned of Lincoln‘s proclamation making
them free men, (A)

~-. ~ --Mr. Ash was sick when interviewed and was not able to do much talking. He had no picture of himself but agreed to pose for
one later on.	~