quire Rucker was de fust Marster of our plantation. Atter
him and Miss Peggy done died, his son, Marse Elbert Rucker tuk up where
his Pa left off. I can't call to mind nothin' 'bout Marse Joe and Miss
Peggy 'cept what old folkses told me long atter dey done died, but I
does 'member Marse Elbert and Miss Sallie and dey was just as good to us
as dey could be. De onliest ones of dier chilluns I ricollects now is
Miss Bessie, Miss Cora and Marsters Joe, Guy, Marion and Early. Dey all
lived in a big fine house sot back f'um de road a piece.

"Marse Elbert's overseer was a Mr. Alderman. He got de slaves up early
in de mornin' and it was black night 'fore he fotched 'em in. Marse
Elbert didn't 'low nobody to lay hands on his Niggers but his own self.
If any whuppin' had to be done, he done it.

"My brother, Squire, was de carriage driver and he was all time
a-drivin' our white folkses to Ruckersville, and sometimes he driv' 'em
far as Anderson, South Callina.

"To tell de truth, Missy, I don't know how many acres was in dat big old
plantation. Dere just ain't no tellin'. Niggers was scattered over dat
great big place lak flies. When dey come in f'um de fields at night, dem
slaves was glad to just go to sleep and rest.

"Dey didn't do no field wuk atter dinner on Saddays. De 'omans washed,
ironed and cleaned up deir cabins, while de mens piddled 'roun' and got
de tools and harness and things lak dat ready for de next week's wuk.

"I heared 'em say dere was a jail at Ruckersville, but so far as I knows
dere warn't no slaves ever put in jail. Niggers didn't have no chance to
git in devilment, 'cause de overseers and patterollers kep' close atter
'em all de time, and slaves what stepped aside allus got a whuppin'.
Dere warn't no time for to larn readin' and writin' on Marse Elbert's
plantation. Dem slaves knowed what a Bible was but dey sho' couldn't
read de fust line. Us went to white folkses church on Sundays, and while
I never tuk in none of dem songs us sung, I sho'ly do ricollect moughty
well how de Reverend Duncan would come down on dat preachin'.

"Lordy, Miss! Dere you is a-axing me 'bout folkses dyin', and I'se nigh
dead myself! Brother 'lisha done prophesied you was a-comin' here for to
write a jedgment, and hit makes me feel right creepy. Anyhow I seed a
heaps of folkses died out and git put in dem home-made coffins what was
black as sin. I sho' is glad dey done changed de color of coffins. I
'members how us used t