~..La ~V6 B~ø17~
•~~~~i.ave D~O~~Lt~b

6th DIstrict
y~~derburgh County	   . . .
I~auafla Creel
	Joseph :~ ~



	This information vîas ~aineô. through an interview with Joseph William Carter ana several o±~ his daughters. The data was cheerfully given to the writer. Joseph ‘~iilliam C~rter has lived a long anci,he declares, a happy lifê, althou~‘h he was born ana. reared in bondage_~his pleasing personality has always made Ms lot an easy one an~1 his yoke seemed easy to wear,

Joseph ~7iliiam Carter was born prior to the year 1836. His r~other, Malvina Gardner was a slave in the home of Lir. Gardner until a man named. D. B. Smith saw her and noticing the physical :~erfeeticn o~ the chill at once purchased lier from her master.

~alvina was agrievea.at being Compelled to leave her oLi home, ana her love-. Ly~omig mistre~3s, Thiss Gardner was :~on~ of t~e little muliato girl and. had ;aught her to be a useful member o~ the G~ardner family; however, she was ~o1d to Mr. Smith anci~ was comt~el]e3. to accorimany hirn to his home.

Both the Gardner and. Smith families lived near ~al1atin, Teirne$see, in Sumner County. The Smith plantation was si~tuated .~on the Cumberland River thd commended a he~.utiful view o±~ river an~ valley acres but Llalvina was very unha1D~y. She ~Lid not enjoy the smith family and longed. for her old friends back in the Gardner home, One night the little girl gathered together her Cew per~onal belongings ~•a~ started back to her old home.

Afraid to travel the highway the child followed a path ~he knew through forest; but~-alas, ehe round the way long andbeset with perils. A

:~mber of uncivil Indians were encamped on the side o~ the Ou~nberland moun-.

•‘.:~~:3‘: and a number ~of the young braies were out bunting that night. Thèir :1 approach was heard by the little fugitive gifi but toalate Thr her
~	an escape. Aulndian oalle& ~BucktT caPtured her and by aU the laws

-	~ was lus own property~ She lived Thr al~iiost a year i.n the