fuss over him I couldn't
take in what he said."

Asked what he thinks about slavery, now that it is over, he replied: "I
think it is all right. God intended it. De white folks run de Injuns
out, but dey is comin' back for sho'. God said every nation shall go to
deir own land 'fore de end.

"I just jined de church right lately. I had cut de buck when I wuz a
young chap, and God has promised us two places, heb'en an' hell. I
thinks it would be scand'lous for anybody to go to hell, so I 'cided to
jine up wid de crowd goin' to heb'en."

After the interview, he called to a little Negro boy that had wandered
into the house: "Moses! gimme a drink of water! Fotch me a chaw of
'bacco, Missie done tuck me up de crick, down de branch, now she's a
gwine 'roun'. Hurry! boy, do as I say, gimme dat water. Nigger chillun,
dis day an' time, is too lazy to earn deir bread. I wuz sorry to see you
come, Missie 'cause my chest wuz a hurtin' so bad, but now I'se sorry to
see you go." Out of breath, he was silent for a moment, then grinned and
said: "I wuz just lookin' at de Injun on dis here nickle, you done
gimme. He looks so happy! Good-bye, Missie, hurry an' come back! You
helped dis old Nigger lots, but my chest sho' do hurt."

[HW: Dist. 6
Ex slave 100]

Mary A. Crawford
Re-search Worker

CHARLIE TYE SMITH, Ex-slave
East Solomon Avenue,
Griffin, Georgia

September 16, 1936
[Date Stamp: MAY 8 1937]

Charlie Tye Smith was born in Henry County, near Locust Grove, Georgia,
on June 10, 1850 (as nearly as he can tell). His mother kept his age for
him and had him tell it to her over and over when he was a little boy.
The old fellow is well and rather alert, despite his eighty-six years.

Mr. Jim Smith, of Henry County, was Charlie's owner and according to
Charlie's version, "sho wuz a mighty good Marster". Mr. Smith owned a
large plantation, and also "around one hundred and fifty, to two hundred
Darkies". Charlie recalls that the slaves were well treated, seldom
"whupped", and never "onmercifully". "Ole Miss", too, [HW: was]
"powerful good" to the darkies, most especially to the "Chillun."

The old man related the following incident in proof of Miss Nancy's
goodness. About every two weeks "ole Miss" would have "ole Uncle Jim"
bake "a whole passel of ginger cakes and tote 'em down to the cabins and
jest pitch 'em out by de handfuls to de chillun!" The old man smiled
broadly as he concluded the ginger cake story and said