s de lantern and
out in de hall I goes. Right by de foot de stairs I seed a woman, big as
life, but she was thin and I seed right through her. She jes' walk on
down dat hall and pay me no mind. She make de sound like de beatin' of
wings. I jes' froze. I couldn't move.

"Dat woman jes' melted out de window at de end of de hall, and I left
dat place!

420054

[Illustration: Anderson and Minerva Edwards]

ANDERSON AND MINERVA EDWARDS, a Negro Baptist preacher and his
wife, were slaves on adjoining plantations in Rusk County, Texas.
Anderson was born March 12, 1844, a slave of Major Matt Gaud, and
Minerva was born February 2, 1850, a slave of Major Flannigan. As a
boy Andrew would get a pass to visit his father, who belonged to
Major Flannigan, and there he met Minerva. They worked for their
masters until three years after the war, then moved to Harrison
County, married and reared sixteen children. Andrew and Minerva
live in a small but comfortable farmhouse two miles north of
Marshall. Minerva's memory is poor, and she added little to
Anderson's story.

"My father was Sandy Flannigan and he had run off from his first master
in Maryland, on the east shore, and come to Texas, and here a slave
buyer picked him up and sold chances on him. If they could find his
Maryland master he'd have to go back to him and if they couldn't the
chances was good. Wash Edwards in Panola County bought the chance on
him, but he run off from him, too, and come to Major Flannigan's in Rusk
County. Fin'ly Major Flannigan had to pay a good lot to get clear title
to him.

"My mammy was named Minerva and her master was Major Gaud, and I was
born there on his plantation in 1866. You can ask that tax man at
Marshall 'bout my age, 'cause he's fix my 'xemption papers since I'm
sixty. I had seven brothers and two sisters. There was Frank, Joe, Sandy
and Gene, Preston and William and Sarah and Delilah, and they all lived
to be old folks and the younges' jus' died last year. Folks was more
healthy when I growed up and I'm 93 now and ain't dead; fact is, I feels
right pert mos' the time.

"My missy named Mary and she and Massa Matt lived in a hewed log house
what am still standin' out there near Henderson. Our quarters was 'cross
the road and set all in a row. Massa own three fam'lies of slaves and
lots of hosses and sheep and cows and my father herded for him till he
was freed. The g