hab uh little
seat in de front fa my pappy to set in en den it hab two seat 'hind de
driver whey de Colonel en he family is ride. I kin see dat carriage jes
uz good right now dat my white folks hab to carry em whey dey is wanna
go."

"Den my mammy come from de udder side uv Pee Dee en she name, Lidia
Bass. She was de servant 'round de yard dere en dat count fa we to ne'er
stay in de quarters wid de udder colored peoples 'fore freedom declare.
I ne'er hadder do no work long uz I lib dere in de yard cause I ain'
been but five year ole when freedom declare. My grandmammy lib right
dere close us en Colonel Durant hab she jes to look a'ter aw de
plantation chillun when dey parents wuz workin'. Aw uv de plantation
peoples 'ud take dey chillun dere fa my grandmammy to nu'se."

"I 'member one day dere come uh crowd uv peoples dere dat dey tell us
chillun wuz de Yankees. Dey come right dere t'rough de Colonel yard en
when I see em, I wuz 'fraid uv em. I run en hide under my grandmammy
bed. Don' know wha' dey say cause I ain' ge' close 'nough to hear nuthin
wha' dey talk 'bout. De white folks hadder herry (hurry) en put t'ings
in pots en bury em or hide em somewhey when dey hear dat de Yankees wus
comin' cause dey scare dem Yankees might take dey t'ings lak dey is
carry 'way udder folks t'ings. I hear em say dey ne'er take nuthin from
de Colonel but some uv he wood."

"My white folks was well-off peoples en dey ain' ne'er use no harsh
treatment on dey plantation peoples. De Colonel own aw dis land 'bout
here den en he see dat he overseer on de plantation provide plenty uv
eve't'ing us need aw de time. I hear tell 'bout some uv de white folks
'ud beat dey colored peoples mos' to death, but I ain' ne'er see none uv
dat no whey. I is 'member when dey'ud sell some uv de colored peoples
way offen to annuder plantation somewhey. Jes been bid em offen jes lak
dey wuz cattle. Some uv de time dey'ud sell uh man wife 'way en den he
hadder ge' annuder wife."

"A'ter freedom declare, we ne'er lib dere at de big house no more. Move
in de colored settlement en den we ain' eat at de big house no more
neither. Dey le' us hab uh garden uv we own den en raise us own chicken
en aw dat. I 'member de Colonel gi'e us so mucha t'ing eve'y week en it
hadder las' us from one Saturday to de next. My mammy 'ud go to de
Colonel barn eve'y week en ge' she portion uv meal en meat. Dat de way
dey pay de hand fa dey work den. Ne'er gi'e em no money den."