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it in dat court house over yondér, never took j-b in dat jail or dat cala-‘ boose. i~S paid my debts doflar for dollar and owe no man nothin‘ but good w~.1l.

“~hat de Yax~kees do when they come? Let other people tell dat, but seem lak they lay de whole town in ashes, ‘cept de college and our house close to it, dat they use for de officers whilethey was in ~oro. ~hy they hear sumpint bout de Davis name techint de St. John tpiscopai Cht~rch and they march t round dere ‚ one cold February Sunday ~0~j~t ~ set it afire ‚ snd burn it up.

-	I~other and ne went to de plantation and stayed dere ‘tu they left. ttT~hen freedom come, I was twelve years old. Mother marry a Finch;

~Bi1i ij•ras de name of him. Our nex‘ move was to Dr. Madden‘ ~ place, just~no~‘th

- of ~oro. Us farm up dore and I do de hoein‘ . • I live derè thirteen years. I ~t to feelin‘~ my oats and tired of workin‘ for a~ plum black nigger, I did. i~Iaybe I- oug1~t~ to been more humble but I wasn‘t.

t‘ I ask myself one night : ‘~hat yoû- gonna do, stay here forever

for your vittles and clothes?‘ Then come over rr~r mind I old ‘nough for to marry. ~Tho I gwine to marry? It pop right in dis hea4, Sarah was de gal for me. I rode old Book down dore de next Sunday; dat was in December. 1 come right to de point wid her end de old folks. They tiow they have no ~jections if I could take care of her • I say I try to .~ They say : ‚ Dat am ~ t ‚ nough, t range yourself for another year and. then come and gît her‘ .

0De Lord directs me. l‘s down here payin‘ my poll~too. Mars-ter Tom Shanty Brice come in as us come out. I ask him if he need a hand for nex‘ year.

11e took me up from top to bottom and say : ~hs your naine ? ‚ I show him n~r

•: • .tax receipt. lie hire me than and dore. I ~o right straight to Sarah and us

» ~ ~I; de old fölke. Rev. Gordon marry us de 29th of January, 1879. Us has




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