e way up to de school to run base when dey play at noon. Dey
sev'ral young Lipscombs, dere Smith and Bill and John and Nathan, and de
oldest son, Elias.

"In dem days cullud people jes' like mules and hosses. Dey didn't have
no last name. My mamma call me after my daddy's massa, Ezell. Mamma was
de good woman and I 'member her more dan once rockin' de little cradle
and singin' to de baby. Dis what she sing:

"Milk in de dairy nine days old,
Sing-song Kitty, can't you ki-me-o?
Frogs and skeeters gittin' mighty bol!
Sing-song, Kitty, can't you ki-me-o?

(Chorus)

Keemo, kimo, darro, wharro,
With me hi, me ho;
In come Sally singin'
Sometime penny winkle,
Lingtum nip cat,
Sing-song, Kitty, can't you ki-me-o?

Dere a frog live in a pool,
Sing-song, Kitty, can't you ki-me-o?
Sure he was de bigges' fool,
Sing-song Kitty, can't you ki-me-o?

For he could dance and he could sing
Sing-song, Kitty, can't you ki-me-o?
And make de woods aroun' him ring
Sing-song, Kitty, can't you ki-me-o?'

"Old massa didn't hold with de way some mean massas treat dey niggers.
Dere a place on our plantation what us call 'De old meadow.' It was
common for runaway niggers to have place 'long de way to hide and res'
when dey run off from mean massa. Massa used to give 'em somethin' to
eat when dey hide dere. I saw dat place operated, though it wasn't
knowed by dat den, but long time after I finds out dey call it part of
de 'Underground railroad.' Dey was stops like dat all de way up to de
north.

"We have went down to Columbia when I 'bout 11 year old and dat where de
first gun fired. Us rush back home, but I could say I heered de first
guns of de war shot, at Fort Sumter.

"When Gen'ral Sherman come 'cross de Savannah River in South Carolina,
some of he sojers come right 'cross us plantation. All de neighbors have
brung dey cotton and stack it in de thicket on de Lipscomb place.
Sherman men find it and sot it on fire. Dat cotton stack was big as a
little courthouse and it took two months' burnin'.

"My old massa run off and stay in de woods a whole week when Sherman men
come through. He didn't need to worry, 'cause us took care of
everythin'. Dey a funny song us make up 'bout him runnin' off in de
woods. I know it was make up, 'cause my uncle have a hand in it. It went
like dis:

'White folks, have you seed old massa
Up de road, with he mustache on?
He pick up he hat and he leave rea