amma come dere en suckle dat child. One day I go
dere en another fellow come dere what dey call John. He en my mamma get
in a argument like en he let out en cut my mamma a big lick right cross
de leg en de blood just pour out dat thing like a done a what. My mamma
took me en come on to de house en when Miss Jane see dat leg, she say,
"Cindy, what de matter?" My mamma say, "John call me a liar en I never
take it." Miss Jane tell em to send after Sam Watson right den. Sam
Watson was a rough old overseer en he been so bowlegged dat if he stand
straddle a barrel, he be settin down on it just as good as you settin
dere. Sam Watson come dere en make dat fellow lay down on a plank in de
fence jam en he take dat cat o' nine tail he have tie round his waist en
strike John 75 times. De blood run down off him just like you see a
stream run in dat woods. Dat sho been so cause all we chillun stand bout
dere en look on it. I suppose I was bout big enough to plough den. When
dey let John loose from dere, he go in de woods en never come back no
more till freedom come here. I tellin you when he come back, he come
back wid de Yankees."

"Oh, de colored peoples never know nothin more den dogs in dem times.
Never couldn' go from one plantation to de other widout dat dey had a
ticket wid em. I see Sam Watson catch many of dem dat had run way en
buff en gag em. Never have no jails nowhe' in dat day en time. Dey sho
sell de colored peoples way plenty times cause I see dat done right here
to Marion. Stand em up on a block en sell em to a speculator dere. I
hear em bid off a 'oman en her baby dere en den dey bid off my auntie en
uncle way down to de country. Dey wouldn' take no whippin off dey Massa
en dat how-come dey get rid of em. My gran'pappy been worth $1,000 en it
de Lord's truth I tellin you, he drown fore he let em whip him. Den my
gran'mammy use to run way en catch rides long de roads cause de peoples
let em do dat den. Coase if dey catch her, dey didn' never do her no
harm cause she was one of dem breed 'omans."

"Never know nothin bout gwine to school in dem times. Just pick up what
learnin we get here, dere, en everywhe'. Learnt something to de white
folks meetin house dere to Antioch settin on de back side of dat church
on dem benches what de slaves had to set on. I is know dis much dat I
voted three times to de courthouse in Marion way back in dem days."

"Sho, we chillun play game en frolic heap of de time. Shinny was de
thing