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EX—SLAVE STORIES
	(Texas)	:~•“

ANN J. ED\VABDS, 81, was born a slave of John Cook, of Arling-. t on Caunty ‚ Vi rgin la . He manurnitted his sDwes in 1857. Pour years later Ann was adopted by Richard H, Cain, a colored preach— er. He was elected to the 45th Congress in 1876, and remained in Washington, D4 C . ‚ unt il his death,, in 1887. Ann ruarried Jas. L ~dwards, graduate of Howard College, a preacher. She now lives with her ~randda~ighter, Mary Foster, at ~3O4 L 4th St., Port Worth, Texas.




	nI shall gladly relate the story of my life. I was born a slave on January 27th, 1856, and ray master‘s n~me was John J. Cook, who we-s a resident of Arlin‘ton County, Virginia. He moved to Washington, D. C., when I was nearly two years old. ~nd immediately gave my parents their freedom. They separated within a year after that, and my mother earned our living, working as a hairdresser until her death in 1861. I was then adopted by Richard H. Cain, a niintster of the Gospel in the African ~ethodist Church.

	plI remember the beg~nning of the war well. The condit ions made a deep impression on my mind, and the atmosphereof Washington was charged with e~citezaent and expectations. There existed considerable need for assistance to the Negroes who had escaped after the war began, ~nd Rev. Cain took a leading part in rendering aid to thee. They came into the city without clothes or money arid no idea of how to secure employ~nent. A large number were placed on farms, some given employment as domestics and still others mustered into the Pederal ~&rmy.