born in a log house, daubed with dirt, in Ballard
County, Kentucky, in 1852, the daughter of Manda and Jordon Rudd. She
remembers very clearly the happenings of her early life.

Her mother, Manda Rudd, was owned by Clark Rudd, and the "devil has sure
got him."

Her father was owned by Mr. Willingham, who was very kind to his slaves.
Jordon became a Rudd, because he was married to Manda on the Rudd
plantation.

There were six children in the family, and all went well until the death
of the mother; Clark Rudd whipped her to death when America was five
years old.

Six little children were left motherless to face a "frowning world."

America was given to her master's daughter, Miss Meda, to wait on her,
as her personal property. She lived with her for one year, then was sold
for $600.00 to Mr. and Mrs. Utterback stayed with them until the end of
the Civil war.

The new mistress was not so kind. Miss Meda, who knew her reputation,
told her if she abused America, she would come for her, and she would
loose the $600.00 she had paid for her. Therefore, America was treated
very kindly.

Aunt Catherine, who looked after all the children on the plantation,
was very unruly, no one could whip her. Once America was sent for two
men to come and tie Aunt Catherine. She fought so hard, it was as much
as the men could do to tie her. They tied her hands, then hung her to
the joist and lashed her with a cow hide. It "was awful to hear her
screams."

In 1865 her father came and took her into Paduca, Kentucky, "a land of
freedom."

When thirteen years old, America did not know A from B, then "glory to
God," a Mr. Greeleaf, a white man, from the north, came down to Kentucky
and opened a school for Negro children. That was America's first chance
to learn. He was very kind and very sympathetic. She went to school for
a very short while.

Her father was very poor, had nothing at all to give his children.

America's mistress would not give her any of her clothes. "All she had
in this world, was what she had on her back." Then she was "hired out"
for $1.00 a week.

The white people for whom she worked were very kind to her and would try
to teach her when her work was done. She was given an old fashioned
spelling book and a first reader. She was then "taught much and began to
know life."

She was sent regularly to church and Sunday school. That was when she
began to "wake up" to her duty as a free girl.

The Rev. D.W. Dupee was