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	Ok1aho~~Writerst Project	. ~S1aves i2~




BkZ~$~T~~
Age 80 yrs.
Oklahoma City, Okia.	.


	I was born in Lawrence County, Mississippi, February 17, 1857. My father‘s name is Elias Grinstead., a German, and. ray mother‘s name is Ann Green— stead after that of her master. I a~n a son by my mother and her Master. I have four other half brother: William (Bill) oldest, AIber~, Silas, and John.

	I was only eight years of age at freedom and. for that reason I was too young to work and on acco~unt of being the son of my Mastez4~s I received no hard treatment and d.H little or no work. Yet, I wore the same clothing a~ did the. rest of the slaves: a shirt of lowell for suinnier and. shirt and. trousers for winter and. no shoes. I could walk through a briar patch in my bare feet without sticking one in the bottom of my feet as they were so hard and resistant.

	I was the only child of my Master as he had. no wife. When the War broke out he went to the War and. left the plantation in charge of his over~ seer and. his two sisters, As the overseers were hard. for them to get along with they were oftener without an overseer as with one, and. therefore they used. one of the Negroes as overseer for the most of the time.

	Across the river was another large plantation and. slave owner by the name of Master Wilson. We called him Master too, for he was a close friend and neighbor to our Mistresses. There was one Negro man slave who decided to not work after Master went to the War and the white overseer was fired and. the Negro. overseer was acting as overseer, so my Mistress gave him a note to take across the river to Master Wilson. The note was an order to whip this Negro and as he.couldn‘t re~ he d1dXI1t know what the note contained. until

~ after Master Wilson read. &t and gave orders to hIs men to tie him for his whip— ping. .4!ter this, the whipp•thg was so severe that they never had any more •