it tired, dey'd say dey was sick
and the overseer let 'em lie down in de shade. He was a good and kindly
man and when we do wrong and go tell him he forgave us and he didn't
whip the boys 'cause he was afraid they'd run away.

"I worked in de house, too. I spinned seven curts a day and every night
we run two looms, makin' large curts for plow lines. We made all our
clothes. We didn't wear shoes in Georgia but in this place the land was
rough and strong, so we couldn't go barefooted. A black man that worked
in the shop measured our feet and made us two pairs a year. We had good
houses and dey was purty good to us. Sometimes missus give us money and
each family had their garden and some chickens. When a couple marry, the
master give them a house and we had a good time and plenty to wear and
to eat. They cared for us when we was sick.

"Master Wiley Hill had a big plantation and plenty of stock and hawgs,
and a big turnip patch. He had yellow and red oxen. We never went to
school any, except Sunday school. We'd go fishin' often down on the
creek and on Saturday night we'd have parties in the woods and play ring
plays and dance.

"My husband's name was David Henderson and we lived on the same place
and belonged to the same man. No, suh, Master Hill didn't have nothin'
to do with bringin' us together. I guess God done it. We fell in love,
and David asked Master Hill for me. We had a weddin' in the house and
was married by a colored Baptist preacher. I wore a white cotton dress
and Missus Hill give me a pan of flour for a weddin' present. He give us
a house of our own. My husband was good to me. He was a careful man and
not rowdy. When we'd go anywhere we'd ride horseback and I'd ride behin'
him.

"I's scared to talk 'bout when I was freed. I 'member the soldiers and
that warrin' and fightin'. Toby, one of the colored boys, joined the
North and was a mail messenger boy and he had his horse shot out from
under him. But I guess its a good thing we was freed, after all.

420007

[Illustration: Albert Hill]

ALBERT HILL, 81, was born a slave of Carter Hill, who owned a
plantation and about 50 slaves, in Walton Co., Georgia. Albert
remained on the Hill place until he was 21, when he went to
Robinson Co., Texas. He now lives at 1305 E. 12th St., Fort Worth,
Texas, in a well-kept five-room house, on a slope above the Trinity
River.

"I was born on Massa Carter Hill's plantation, in