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in about an hour there was one of the blackest clouds coming ~ up the avenue from the main road. It was the Yankee soldiers, they finally filled the mile lon: avenue reaching from. marsterts house to the main Louisburg road and spread out over the mile square grove. The mounted men dismounted. The footmen stacked their shining guns and began to build fires and cook. They called the slaves, sayir~g, tYour are free~t Slaves were whoopirg and laughing and actin~g like they were crazy. Yankee soldiers were shaking hands with the Negroes anl calling them Sam, Dinah, Sarah and asking them questions. They busted the door to the smoke house and got all the hams. They went to the icehouse and

. got several barrels of brandy, and such a time. • The Negroes ar~ Yankees were cookin~g and eating together. The Yankees told them to come on and join them, they were free. Marster and missus sat on the porch and they were so humble no Yankee bothered anything in the great house. The slaves were awfuUy~ è~cited. The Yankees stayed there~cooked, eat, drank an~i played music until about night, then. a burgle began to blow and you never saw such g etting on horses and lining up in your l~. In a few minutes they began to march, leaving. the grove which was sooti as silent as a grave yard. They took marster‘s horses and cattle

.~	with them arid joined the main army an~ camped just ac~ross Cy~ess Creek oné and one haifmiles from my marster‘s place on the Louisburg . Road.

	~	t1Whèn théy ••‚~~ Ïft~t~i eôuntry, lot Ofthe siaveswant with them and soon there were none of marster~s slaves left. They

~	wondered around for a year from place to place, fed. and wo*i~,
~ ~	~