war they took up wid de 'publican party. Sad
day for old marster when him didn't hold his mouth, but I'll get to dat
later.

"Marster Biggers believe in whippin' and workin' his slaves long and
hard; then a man was scared all de time of being sold away from his wife
and chillun. His bark was worse then his bite tho', for I never knowed
him to do a wicked thing lak dat.

"How long was they whipped? Well, they put de foots in a stock and clamp
them together, then they have a cross-piece go right across de breast
high as de shoulder. Dat cross-piece long enough to bind de hands of a
slave to it at each end. They always strip them naked and some time they
lay on de lashes wid a whip, a switch or a strap. Does I believe dat was
a great sin? No sir. Our race was just lak school chillun is now. De
marster had to put de fear of God in them sometime, somehow, and de
Bible don't object to it.

"I see marster buy a many a slave. I never saw him sell but one and he
sold dat one to a drover for $450.00, cash down on de table, and he did
dat at de request of de overseer and de mistress. They was uneasy 'bout
him.

"They give us Christmas Day. Every woman got a handkerchief to tie up
her hair. Every girl got a ribbon, every boy a barlow knife, and every
man a shin plaster. De neighbors call de place, de shin plaster, Barlow,
Bandanna place. Us always have a dance in de Christmas.

"After freedom when us was told us had to have names, pappy say he love
his old Marster Ben Clifton de best and him took dat titlement, and I's
been a Clifton ever since.

"Go way, white folks! What everthing mate for? De birds, de corn tassle
and de silk, man and woman, white folks and colored folks mates. You ask
me what for I seek out Christina for to marry. Dere was sumpin' 'bout
dat gal, dat day I meets her, though her hair had 'bout a pound of
cotton thread in it, dat just 'tracted me to her lak a fly will sail
'round and light on a 'lasses pitcher. I kept de Ashford Ferry road hot
'til I got her. I had to ask her old folks for her befo' she consent.
Dis took 'bout six months. Everything had to be regular. At last I got
de preacher, Rev. Ray Shelby to go down dere and marry us. Her have been
a blessin' to me every day since.

"Us have seven chillun. They's scattered east, west, north, and south.
De only one left is just David, our baby, and him is a baby six foot
high and fifty-one years old.

"Yes sir, us had a bold, drivin', pushin', marst