ur axes.

"We made our clothes out of cotton and wool mixed, made dem at home wid
our own cards and spinning wheels. We made our shoes out of leather
tanned at home, but had to use woolen shoes after de war, which would
wear out and split open in three weeks.

"My daddy was Amos Wilson and mammy was Carline Griffin. I had some
brothers and sisters. When freedom come, de master come to us and told
us de damn Yankees done freed us, 'what you gwinter do? If you want ter
stay on wid me, I will give you work.' We stayed fer awhile.

"The patrollers caught me once when I run off. I run fast and lost my
hat and dey got it. I saw some slaves sold on de block. Dey was put in a
ring and sold by crying out de price. We didn't learn to read and
write, not allowed to. De niggers went to de corn shuckings and was give
pumpkin custards to eat and liquor. Dey wasn't allowed to dance, but
sometimes we had secret dances, shut up in de house so de master
couldn't hear us.

"After de war, we went hunting and fishing on Sundays. We never had
Saturday afternoons off. We killed wild deer and other things. Once de
master killed 14 squirrels in three quarters of hour.

"We raised our own tobacco, the master did, for home use. Most always a
small patch was planted.

"De master once saw ghosts, he come from his sisters and passed de
graveyard and saw 9 cows with no heads. His horse jest flew home. Most
white folks didn't believe in ghosts, but dat is one time de master
believed he saw some.

"I went wid de Red Shirts, belonged to de company and went to meetings
wid dem. I voted fer Hampton. Befo' dat, de Ku Klux had bad niggers
dodging like birds in de woods. Dey caught some and threw dem on de
ground and whipped dem, but de master say he don't know nothing 'bout it
as he was asleep. Dey caught a nigger preacher once and made him dance,
put him in muddy water and walloped him around in de mud.

"Once seven Indians come in our neighborhood an call fer meat, meal and
salt. Dere was three men and four women. Dey cooked all night, murmuring
something all de time. Next morning three squirrels was found up a tree,
and de Indians shot 'em down wid bow and arrow.

"One time I saw horses froze to death. Dey couldn't get dere breath, and
de people took warm water and wash dere foreheads. I was a small boy
den. My master had 46 guineas.

"I married Nancy Robinson who belonged to Robert Calmes. She was living
at de Gillam place near Rich Hill.