48
Project #—16~5	•)Ö#~r~AA	Approx. 430 Words.
C. 8. Murray
Charleston, S. C.


GOING DOWN TO DIE

( FOLKLORE)


STORY TOLD BY EX-SLAVE	Boss Man, you talk about de brave soi.‘ dier w~o been in de last big war and

how dey look death In de eye and spit on ~iim. I ain‘t see dat war, It been ‘cross de water. But I know sump‘erk 1bout de Civil War. I been young lad when de big gun shoot and de Yankee pile down from de ~~rth.

	Talk ‘bout being brave. De bravest thing I ever see was one day at Ashepoo junction. Dat was near de end of de war. Grant was standing up before Richmond; Skier.‘ man was marching tuznp«tuinp through Georgia. I was a stripling lad den and boylike I got to see and hear everything. One day more t~an all, de overseer sent my pappy to Ashepoo junction to get de mail. I gone ‘long wid him. Seem like I jest had to go dat day.

	I member dat morning well. When I get to de junction de train start to come In. What a lot of‘ traint De air fair smoke up wid dem. They come shouting in from Ctie.rle eton ‚ bound up‘eountry.

	I stand wid my pappy near de long trestle, and see de train rock by. One onjine in front pulling one in de back puehitg, pushing, pushing. De train load down wid soldier. They thick as peas. Been so many a whole ton been riding on de car roof. They shout and tioller. I make big