hetic nature of Dr. Buckner
into a responsive suffer among a suffering people. He has hope that
proper influences and sympathetic advice will mould the plastic
character of the Afro-American youths of the United States into proper
citizens and that their immortal souls inherit the promised reward of
the redeemed through grace.

"Receivers of emancipation from slavery and enjoyers of emancipation
from sin through the sacrifice of Abraham Lincoln and Jesus Christ; Why
should not the negroes be exalted and happy?" are the words of Dr.
Buckner.

Note: G.W. Buckner was born December 1st, 1852. The negroes in Kentucky
expressed it, "In fox huntin' time" one brother was born in "Simmon
time", one in "Sweet tater time," and another in "Plantin' time."

--Negro lore.

Ex-Slave Stories
District #5
Vanderburgh County
Lauana Creel

THE LIFE STORY OF GEORGE TAYLOR BURNS
[HW: Personal Interview]

Ox-carts and flat boats, and pioneer surroundings; crowds of men and
women crowding to the rails of river steamboats; gay ladies in holiday
attire and gentleman in tall hats, low cut vests and silk mufflers; for
the excursion boats carried the gentry of every area.

A little negro boy clung to the ragged skirts of a slave mother, both
were engrossed in watching the great wheels that ploughed the
Mississippi river into foaming billows. Many boats stopped at Gregery's
Landing, Missouri to stow away wood, for many engines were fired with
wood in the early days.

The Burns brothers operated a wood yard at the Landing and the work of
cutting, hewing and piling wood for the commerce was performed by slaves
of the Burns plantation.

George Taylor Burns was five years of age and helped his mother all day
as she toiled in the wood yards. "The colder the weather, the more hard
work we had to do," declares Uncle George.

George Taylor Burns, the child of Missouri slave parents, recalls the
scenes enacted at the Burns' wood yards so long ago. He is a resident of
Evansville, Indiana and his snow white hair and beard bear testimony
that his days have been already long upon the earth.

Uncle George remembers the time when his infant hands reached in vain
for his mother, the kind and gentle Lucy Burns: Remembers a long cold
winter of snow and ice when boats were tied up to their moorings. Old
master died that winter and many slaves were sold by the heirs, among
them was Lucy Burns. Little George clung to his mother but strong hand