MissotmI
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go to help kill hogs and clean up de lard. Dey paid ‘her good. We nuist have stayed about 3 years at Casey‘s after de freedom and den went to Mineral Point and worked for de tiff and mineral. Imar— ned up dere and had about 13 children by 2 wives. I ain‘t got no wife now. Dey is both dead. My children is scattered so I don‘t know how many is livin‘ • I got a boy dat went to this last war and I think he is out west somewhere. I got two boys here. On~ is work— in‘ for de factory~in Crystal City. De other one knows lots about ce— ment. I got another child in New York. They don‘t write to me. I can‘t read or write. Dere was no school for niggers dein days. I has to make a cross mark every time I do anything. I went to school one week and my mother had to clean tiff to ~ke a livin‘ for dem children and get grub so I had to go to work. I had about seven sis-. tees and brothers altogether. I done worked at everything--steam— boating, cutting wheat in Harrisonville, Illinois. I was here when dis was all woods, man. Me and a saloon keeper have been here a long time, more‘n 50 years I guess. I pay ~ a month rent or just what I can give ‘em. My two boys lives here with nie now and I get ~12 pen~. sion.

	.	~Dat~‘s when my old n~aster run when dem blue jackets corne. Dey made me kill chickens and turkeys and. cook for ‘em. De lieutenant