tion 4 miles from Garner and 13 miles from Raleigh, N. C. in the
County of Wake. I am 84 years ole the 2nd day uv dis las' gone March. I
belonged to Mr. John William Walton in slavery time. My missus wuz named
Miss Martha.

My father wuz named Frank Walton. My mother wuz named Flora Walton.
Grandma wuz 104 years when she died. She died down at de old plantation.
My brothers were named Johnnie and Lang. My sisters were Adeline,
Violet, Mary, Sarah, Ellen, and Annie. Four of us are livin', Ellen,
Mary, Sarah and me.

De old boss man wuz good to us. I wuz talkin' about him the udder
night. He didn't whup us and he said, he didn't want nobody else to whup
us. It is jis like I tell you; he wuz never cruel to us. One uv his sons
wuz cruel to us. We had a plenty to eat, we shore did, plenty to eat. We
had nice houses to live in too. Grandma had a large room to live in, and
we had one to live in. Daddy stayed at home with mother. They worked
their patches by moonlight; and worked for the white folks in the day
time.

They sold what they made. Marster bought it and paid for it. He made a
barrel o' rice every year, my daddy did.

Mr. Bell Allen owned slaves too. He had a plenty o' niggers. His
plantation wuz 5 miles from ourn. We went to church at the white folks
church. When Mr. Bell Allen seed us cummin' he would say, 'Yonder comes
John Walton's free niggers.'

Our marster would not sell his slaves. He give dem to his children when
they married off do'. I swept yards, churned, fed the chickens. In de
ebening I would go with my missus a fishin'. We eat collards, peas, corn
bread, milk, and rice. We got biskit and butter twice a week. I thought
dat de best things I ever et wuz butter spread on biskit. We had a corn
mill and a flour mill on the plantation. There wuz about 24 slaves on de
place. Dey had brandy made on de plantation, and de marster gib all his
slaves some for dere own uses.

My grandmother and mother wove our clothes. Dey were called homespun.
Dey made de shoes on de plantation too. I wuz not married til atter de
surrender. I did not dress de finest in the world; but I had nice
clothes. My wedding dress wuz made of cream silk, made princess with
pink and cream bows. I wore a pair of morocco store bought shoes. My
husband was dressed in a store bought suit of clothes, the coat wuz made
pigen [HW correction: pigeon] tail. He had on a velvet vest and a white
collar and tie. Somebody stole de ves' atter dat.

O