Macon Lambert
an' his marster wus named At Lambert. Our missus wus named Caroline an'
father's missus wus named Beckie. My grandfather wus Phil Bell. He
belonged to the Bells. They lived in Chatham County. My grandmother wus
named Peggy an' she belonged to de same family.

"We lived in little ole log houses. We called 'em cabins. They had
stick an' dirt chimleys wid one door to de house an' one window. It
shet to lak a door.

"We did not have any gardens an' we never had any money of our own. We
jest wurked fer de white folks.

"We had plenty sumptin to eat an' it wus cooked good. My mother wus de
cook an' she done it right. Our clothes wus homemade but we had plenty
shiftin' clothes. Course our shoes wus given out at Christmas. We got
one pair a year an' when dey wore out we got no more an' had to go
barefooted de rest of de time. You had to take care of dat pair uv
shoes bekase dey wus all you got a year. The slaves caught game
sometime an' et it in de cabins, but dere wus not much time fer huntin'
dere wus so much wurk to do.

"Dere wus 'bout fifty slaves on de plantation, an' dey wurked from
light till dark. I 'member dey wurkin' till dark. Course I wus too
small to 'member all 'bout it an' I don't 'member 'bout de overseers. I
never seen a slave whupped, but I 'members seein' dem carryin' slaves
in droves like cows. De white men who wus guardin' 'em walked in front
an' some behind. I did not see any chains. I never seen a slave sold
an' I don't 'member ever seein' a jail fer slaves.

"Dere wus no books, or larnin' uv any kind allowed. You better not be
ketched wid a book in yore han's. Dat wus sumptin dey would git you
fer. I ken read an' write a little but I learned since de surrender. My
mother tole me 'bout dat bein' 'ginst de rules of de white folks. I
'members it while I wus only a little gal. When de Yankees come thro'.

"Dere wus no churches on de plantation an' we wus not 'lowed to have
prayer meetings in de cabins, but we went to preachin' at de white
folks church. I 'member dat. We set on de back seat. I 'member dat.

"No slaves ever run away from our plantation cause marster wus good to
us. I never heard of him bein' 'bout to whup any of his niggers. Mother
loved her white folks as long as she lived an' I loved 'em too. No
mister, we wus not mistreated. Mother tole me a lot 'bout Raw Head an'
Bloody Bones an' when I done mean, she say, 'Better not do dat any more
Raw Head an' Bloody Bones gwine t