er but not a
hard-hearted one. I sorry when military come and arrest him. It was dis
a way, him try to carry on wid free labor, 'bout lak him did in slavery.
Chester was in military district no. 2. De whole state was under dat
military government. Old marster went to de field and cuss a nigger
woman for de way she was workin', choppin' cotton. She turnt on him wid
de hoe and gashed him 'bout de head wid it. Him pull out his pistol and
shot her. Dr. Babcock say de wound in de woman not serious. They swore
out a warrant for Marster Biggers, arrest him wid a squad, and take him
to Charleston, where him had nigger jailors, and was kicked and cuffed
'bout lak a dog. They say de only thing he had to eat was corn-meal-mush
brought 'round to him and other nice white folks in a tub and it was
ladeled out to them thru de iron railin' into de palms of dere hands.
Mistress stuck by him, went and stayed down dere. The filthy prison and
hard treatments broke him down, and when he did get out and come home,
him passed over de river of Jordan, where I hopes and prays his soul
finds rest. Mistress say one time they threatened her down dere, dat if
she didn't get up $10,000 they would send him where she would never see
him again.

"Well, I must be goin'. Some day when de crops is laid by and us get de
boll weevil whipped off de field, I'll get David to bring me and dat
gal, Christina, you so curious 'bout, to Winnsboro to see you. Oh, how
her gonna laugh and shake her sides when I get home and tell her all
'bout what's down on dat paper! You say it's to be sent to Washington?
Why, de President and his wife will be tickled at some of them things.
I's sure they will. Dat'll make Christina have a great excitement when I
tell her we is to be talked 'bout way up dere. I 'spect it will keep her
wake and she'll be hunchin' me and asking me all thru de night, what I
give in.

"Oh, well, I's thankful for dis hour in which I's been brought very near
to de days of de long long ago. Maybe I'll get a pension and maybe I
won't. Just so de Lord and de President take notice of us, is enough for
me."

Project 1885-1
From Field Notes.
Spartanburg, Dist. 4
April 29, 1937
Edited by:
Elmer Turnage

FOLK LORE: FOLK TALES (Negro)

"I wuz born in Fairfield, dat is over yonder across Broad River, you
knos what dat is, don't you? Yes sir, it wuz on Marse Johnson D.
Coleman's plantation. And he had a plantation! Dese niggers here in