d by Brother Mike Wilson." When she was asked to sing, the cracked
voice broke into this song:

"I am a Baptist born,
And my shoes cried,
And my eyes batted,
And when I'm gone
Dere is a Baptist gone."

Fannie was now completely tired out, but when her visitor arose to
leave, she sang out cordially: "Honey, God bless you; goodbye."

Alberta Minor

[HW: over 100 years old]

Rastus Jones, Ex-slave

Place of Birth: Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Date of Birth: Apparently, between 1825 and 1830

Present residence: Near Vaugn, Georgia
On Farm of Mr. W.M. Parker

Interviewed: August 18, 1936

Rastus Jones, born the slave property of Mr. Sidney Jones, a North
Carolina planter, is a very old man, probably between 107 and 110 years
of age. His earliest memory is that of the "Falling Stars," the most
brilliant display, perhaps, of the Leonids ever recorded, that of
November 12-13, 1833, which establishes his age as being in excess of
103 years.

"Uncle" Rastus states that the Joneses were good to their slaves--gave
them clothing each spring and fall, issued them shoes as needed, fed
them well, and furnished them medical attention when ill.

The Negro children and white children played together and the life of
the slave was usually happy and care-free. At Christmas time, the slaves
were always remembered by their masters with gifts.

The Jones family owned about twenty-five Negroes and, some years prior
to the Civil war, moved to DeSoto County, Mississippi, taking their
slaves with them, all making the trip in wagons. In both North Carolina
and Mississippi, it was a custom of Mr. Jones to give each deserving,
adult Negro slave an acre or two of land to work for himself and reap
any profits derived therefrom.

While living in Mississippi, Rastus ran off with a crowd "o' Niggers"
and joined the Federal forces at Memphis. During the siege of Vicksburg,
he was employed as cook in General Grant's Army, and later marched east
with the Yankees. Subsequently, he seems to have become attached to
Sherman's forces. Near Marietta, Georgia, in July or August, 1864, he
was captured by the Confederates under General Hood, who confined him in
prison at--or near--Macon until the close of the war. After his release,
in May, 1865, he had "a pretty hard time of it" for several years. Still
later, he came to Spalding County and hired out to Mr. Jones Bridges. He
r