.

"I was purty little den, but I done my share. I holp my mother dust and
clean up de house and peel 'tatoes. Dere some old men dat too old to
work so dey sot in de sun all day and holp with de light work. Dey carry
grub and water to de field hands.

"Somebody run 'way all de time and hide in de woods till dere gut pinch
dem and den dey have to come back and git somethin' to eat. Course, dey
got beat, but dat didn't worry dem none, and it not long till dey gone
'gain.

"My mother sold into slavery in Georgia, or round dere. She tell me
funny things 'bout how dey use to do up dere. A old white man think so
much of he old nigger when he die he free dat nigger in he will, and
lef' him a little money. He open de blacksmith shop and buy some slaves.
Mother allus say dose free niggers make de hardes' masters. One in
Palestine marry a nigger slave and buy her from her master. Den he tell
everybody he own a slave.

"Everybody talk 'bout freedom and hope to git free 'fore dey die. I
'member de first time de Yankees pass by, my mother lift me up on de
fence. Dey use to pass by with bags on de mules and fill dem with stuff
from de houses. Dey go in de barn and holp deyself. Dey go in de stables
and turn out de white folks' hosses and run off what dey don't take for
deyself.

"Den one night I 'member jes' as well, me and my mother was settin' in
de cabin gettin' ready to go to bed, when us hear somebody call my
mother. We listen and de overseer whisper under de door and told my
mother dat she free but not to tell nobody. I don't know why he done it.
He allus like my mother, so I guess he do it for her. The master reads
us de paper right after dat and say us free.

"Me and my mother lef' right off and go to Palestine. Most everybody
else go with us. We all walk down de road singin' and shoutin' to beat
de band. My father come nex' day and jine us. My sister born dere. Den
us go to Houston and Louisiana for a spell and I hires out to cook. I
works till us come to Galveston 'bout ten year ago.

420316

Dibble, Fred, P.W., Beehler, Rheba, P.W.,
Beaumont, Jefferson, Dist. #3.

ANN HAWTHORNE, Beaumont, Tex., was clad in a white dress which was
protected by a faded blue checked apron. On her feet she wore men's
bedroom slippers much too large for her, and to prevent their
falling off, were tied around the ankle by rag strings. She wore
silk hose with the heels completely worn out of them. Her