420273
	FSL.SLAV~ STORIES	Page One
(Texas)

JOHN MCCOY, ex-.slave, who l1.ves in a small shack in the rear of 2310 State St., H~~uston, Texp~3, claims to have been born J,qn. 1,1838. ~k1t~ ou~h his memory is hazy, John is certain that “folks hr~d a heap more s~mse in slave tiiiit~s den dey has now.‘




	t,~1eli, s~ih, my white folks done lam ne to start de cotton row

right ard point for de stake at de fu‘ end of de field, and dat way a nigger don‘t git off ~e 1in~ a~d ~o dis—a—way and dat~~w~.r. He start right aM end right, yes, suhl Dat 1e wny to live you start right n~d ~~° d~ straight way to de end and -~ou c~nnes out pill right.

	“l‘s been here a mighty long time, I sho hns, and done forgit a heap, 1c~use my head ain‘t so good no ~~ore, but when I first knowed. my~1f I ‘1on~s to old Marse John McCoy. Old Miss Mnry w~.s he wife and dey de only white folks whet I ever ‘longs to. Dat how cOiie I~s a McCoy, ‘cause i~1l ~e niggers what old mar~e have goes by his name.

	“My paDpvTs naine was Hector ~nd m~rnniy‘~ n~ne Ann, ~nd dey dies when I~s j~s~ a young ~ick and dat been a long tirue ‘fore freedom. kin‘ t got no bradders and sisters what I knows tbout. All a slave have to go by rim what de white folks tells him ‘bout his kinfoiks,

	“Old Marss John have a big place round Houston p~nd r~1ses cotton and corn and bawgs ~nd cows, Dere was lots cf wi1dernes~ den, full of varmints F~fld wildcats ~nd bears, Old Marse done lam me ‘b~dience arid not to lie or steal, and he lam me with de whip. Dat all de
—li«.