family and the slaves. My
mother married a negro ex-slave of Ford George and bore children for
him. Her health failed and when Mistress Puss, the only daughter of
Mistress Lorainne, learned she was ill she persuaded the Negro man to
sell his property and bring Eliza back to live with her."

[TR: in following section the name George 'Fordman' is used twice.]

"Why are you called George Fordman when your name is Ford George?" was
the question asked the old man.

"Then the Freedsmen started teaching school in Kentucky the census taker
called to enlist me as a pupil. 'What do you call this child?' he asked
Mistress Lorainne. 'We call him the Little Captain because he carried
himself like a soldier,' said Mistress Lorainne. 'He is the son of my
husband and a slave woman but we are rearing him.' Mistress Lorainne
told the stranger that I had been named Ford George in derision and he
suggested she list me in the census as George Fordsman, which she did,
but she never allowed me to attend the Freedmen's School, desiring to
keep me with her own children and let me be taught at home. My mother's
half brother, Patent George allowed his name to be reversed to George
Patent when he enlisted in the Union Service at the outbreak of the
Civil War."

Some customs prevalent in the earlier days were described by George
Fordman. "It was customary to conduct a funeral differently than it is
conducted now," he said. "I remember I was only six years old when old
Mistress Hester Lam passed on to her eternal rest. She was kept out of
her grave several days in order to allow time for the relatives, friends
and ex-slaves to be notified of her death.

"The house and yard were full of grieving friends. Finally the lengthy
procession started to the graveyard. Within the George's parlors there
had been Bible passages read, prayers offered up and hymns sung, now the
casket was placed in a wagon drawn by two horses. The casket was covered
with flowers while the family and friends rode in ox carts, horse-drawn
wagons, horseback, and with still many on foot they made their way
towards the river.

"When we reached the river there were many canoes busy putting the
people across, besides the ferry boat was in use to ferry vehicles over
the stream. The ex-slaves were crying and praying and telling how good
granny had been to all of them and explaining how they knew she had gone
straight to Heaven, because she was so kind--and a Christian. There were
n