n old Negro man named Henry Wright. Although Mr.
Wright is 99 years of age his appearance is that of a much younger man.
He is about 5 feet in height; his dark skin is almost free of wrinkles
and his head is thickly covered with gray hair. His speech and thought
indicate that he is very intelligent and there is no doubt that he still
possesses a clear and active mind.

As he noisily puffed on a battered old pipe he related the following
tale of his experiences in slavery and of conditions in general as he
saw them at that time.

Mr. Wright was born on the plantation of Mr. Phil House. This plantation
was located near the present site of Buckhead, Ga. His parents were
Henry Wright and Margaret House. In those days it was customary for
slaves to carry the name of their owners. His father was owned by Mr.
Spencer Wright and his mother was owned by Mr. Phil House. Both of these
slave owners lived in the same district. His grandparents, Kittie and
Anite House also belonged to Mr. Phil House and it was they who told him
how they had been sold like cattle while in Virginia to a speculator
(slave dealer) and brought to Decatur, Ga. where they were sold to Mr.
House.

Mr. Wright lived with his mother on the House plantation for several
years then he was given to Mr. George House, the brother of Phil House,
as a wedding present. However, he saw his parents often as they were all
allowed "passes" so that they might visit one another.

According to Mr. Wright, his master was a very rich man and a very
intelligent one. His plantation consisted of about three or four hundred
acres of land on which he raised cotton, cane, corn, vegetables and live
stock. Although he was not very mean to his slaves or "servants" as he
called them, neither did his kindness reach the gushing or overflowing
stage.

On this plantation there were a large number of slaves, some of whom
worked in "Old Marster's" (as Mr. House was called) house and some of
whom worked in the fields.

As a youngster Mr. Wright had to pick up chips around the yard, make
fires and keep the house supplied with water which he got from the well.
When he was ten years of age he was sent to the field as a plow-boy. He
remembers that his mother and father also worked in the fields. In
relating his experience as a field hand Mr. Wright says that he and his
fellow slaves were roused each morning about 3 o'clock by the blowing of
a horn. This horn was usually blown by the white ove