C. May 12, 1937.

"I wuz borned at Wakefield in 1841, here in Wake County. My mammy wuz
named Eliza an' my pappy wuz named Thomas. Dar wuz eleben uv us
chilluns, Frances, Sally Ann, Jane, Pattie, Louisa, Alice, Firginia,
Sam, Haywood, Boobie and me. We belonged to Mr. Agustus Foster an' he
wuz right good to us even do' he had a hundred or so other slaves.

"I 'members one whuppin' I got when I wuz little 'bout a big matter dat
looked little at de time. Mens would come by in kivered wagons, (we
called dem speckled wagons) an' steal Marse Gus' nigger chilluns. He
had lost a heap of money dat way, so he forbids us of goin' out ter de
road an' he orders us ter stay 'way back in de rear uv de house. One
day we sees a drove uv dese wagons comin' an' we flies down ter de
road. De marster ketches us an' I flies, but he hobbles ter our cabin
on his crutches an' he pinches me, pokes me wid de crutch an' slaps my
face.

"His son Billy wuz de overseer an' he wuz good ter git along wid, but
he shore made dem darkies wuck. De wimmen plowed an' grubbed, an' I'se
known dem ter leave de field, go ter de house an' find a baby an' be
back at wuck de next day. Dat ain't happen often do', mostly dey done
light wuck fer a week or so. De babies wuz carried to Ant Hannah's
house an' she raised 'em all so's dat de other wimmen could wuck. De
mammies ain't even 'member which wuz dere chilluns half de time, so dar
wuz no mo'nin' when somebody got sold.

"I 'members a slave sale an' hyarin' de marster tell Cindy an' Bruce
ter act up fer de benefit of de buyers. Cindy said dat she could do
ever'thing, so she brung a good price, but Bruce, atter sayin' dat he
could do it all, wuz tole ter hitch up a hoss in a hurry. He got de
hoss an' turned his head ter de spatter board an' tried to hook de hoss
up hind part befo'. De marster can't find no buyer, so he whups Bruce
awful atter he gits him home, but dat black boy says, 'Marse, Yo' can
kill me, but I'd ruther stay on hyar.' I'se seed niggers in chains, but
dey wuz travelin', or wuz mighty bad niggers.

"We had log cabins to live in an' dey wuz comfortable but we ain't had
much jubilees, de marster not believin' in such things. We warn't
teached nothin', not even religion an' we got whupped if we wuz ketched
wid a piece uv paper or a slate. De white folks warn't teached nothin'
den, an' you know dey won't gwine ter take no trouble wid de niggers.
De niggers had a doctor do' when dey got sick sam