ery time I eats eggs.

"De nex' day after de battle am over, mos' us cullud folks goes to de
field. Some of 'em buries de dead, and I hears 'em tell how in de low
places de blood stand like water and de bodies all shoot to pieces.

"Massa's sons not kilt and am de missy glad! She have allus colored
folks come to de house and make us kneel down and she thank de Lawd for
savin' her sons. Dey even go to other places and fights, but dey comes
home after de war am over.

"Surrender come and massa tells us we can stay or go and if we stay he
pay us wages or we works on shares. Some go and some stay. Mammy and me
goes to de Fowler place with my stepfather and we share crops for three
year.

"I stays with dem till I's 18 and den I gits married. Dat in 1871 and my
wife died in 1928 and we'uns have four chillen. All dat time I's farmed
till 'bout 30 year ago when I works in de packin' plant here in Fort
Worth. I works dere 20 years and den dey say I's too old and since den I
works at de odd jobs till 'bout five years ago.

"Since I's quit work at de packin' plant it am hard for dis cullud
person. I soon uses up my savin's and den I's gone hongry plenty times.
My chillen am old and dey havin' de hard time, too. My friends helps me
a little and I gits de pension, but it am only $3.00 a month and,
course, dat ain't 'nough.

"After all dese years I's worked and 'haved, I never thinks I comes to
where I couldn't git 'nough to eat. I's am wishful for de Lawd to call
me to jedgment.

420307

CHRIS FRANKLIN, 82, was born a slave of Judge Robert J. Looney, in
Bossier Parish, Louisiana. Chris now lives in Beaumont, Texas, and
supports himself by gardening and yard work. He is thrifty and owns
his own home.

"Yes, suh, dis is Chris Franklin. I signs my name C.C. Franklin, dat for
Christopher Columbus Franklin. I's born in Bossier Parish, up in
Louisiana, jes' twenty-five miles de other side of Shreveport. I's born
dere in 1855, on Christmas Day, but I's raise up in Caddo Parish. Old
massa move over dere when I 'bout a year old.

"Old massa name Robert J. Looney and he a jedge and lawyer. He have a
boy name R.J., Jr., but I's talkin' 'bout de old head, de old 'riginal.
De missy, her name Lettie Looney. He weren't no farmer, jes' truck farm
to raise de livin' for he household and slaves. He didn't have over a
half dozen growed up slaves. Course, dey rears a lot of young'uns.

"My pappy's name Solomo