d in syrup for nine mornin's
and by den us was allus rid of de worms. Dey 'tended to slave chillun so
good and dutiful dat dere warn't many of 'em died, and I don't never
'member no doctor comin' to my Mamma's house.

"Old Missus used to teach us in da blue back speller, and when I didn't
know my lesson she made me run f'um de house to de gyarden gate for
punishment. De more words I missed; de more times I had to run. Us had
our own church services on de plantation under home-made brush arbors,
and our colored preacher was Uncle Charles Cooper.

"Once some sojers come by our place lookin' for Marse John. He had done
hid in de loft of de meat house and told evvybody on de place dey
better not tell whar he was. Dey didn't find Marse John, but dey did
find his son, Marse Willie, and dey tuk him 'long wid 'em. Marse Willie
was de only chile dat Marster and Missus had and it nearly killed 'em
for him to be tuk 'way from 'em. When Mr. Lincoln's general got to our
place he was a-ridin' a big red hoss dat sho' was a grand animal. Dem
sojers went in de smokehouses and stores evvywhar and tuk what dey
wanted.

"Not long 'fore de war ended, my Mamma tuk a 'lapse f'um measles and
died. 'Fore she died, she sont for Marse John and told him what she
wanted done, and he done jus' what she axed. She give him my brothers,
Richard and Thomas, and told him to take dem two boys and to make men
out of 'em by makin' 'em wuk hard. I jus' lak to have died when my Mamma
died. Dey carried her to de graveyard and put her down in de grave and I
jus' couldn't help it; I jumped right down in dat grave wid her, and dey
had to take me out. My brothers said I was plum crazy dat day.

"Atter de war was over, Marster moved his family to Atlanta on Peachtree
Street. His grandson dat was born dat year died not long ago. Dey didn't
have no farm in Atlanta and so dey didn't need all deir old servants. My
sister Hattie was a baby and Auntie tuk her to Atlanta wid de Grants.

"I don't know what 'come of de others on Marster's farm. I had to git in
a covered wagon and come wid my Uncle Jordan Johnson to Athens. I didn't
want to leave, and I hid down under our things in de wagon when dey made
me come. When us crossed de river, I was sho' us was 'bout to git
drownded. One time atter dat us tuk a trip to Madison to see de old
breastplates (breastworks) dar.

"My brother Tom got to be captain of a colored troop dat went to de
Philippine Islands. Over dar de so