airfield County, 'round old Buckhead
section. My grandpap, Wash, tell me Marse Preston come dere visitin' de
Harpers, 'nother buckra family dat live further toward de Broad River
side of de county. When he git up dere, it come over his 'membrance dat
de Meanses was some punkins too, as well as him and de Harpers. Maybe he
done heard 'bout Miss Martha, how her could ride a horse and dance a
cotillion in Columbia, when Marse John Hugh was de governor. Well, de
part goes, he comes over dere but didn't do lak they does now, bust
right in and 'clare his 'fections to de gal. Him fust, solemn lak, ask
to see de marster and ask him if he object to him pursuing Miss Martha,
in de light of becomin' his son-in-law? Then, when dat was settled,
Marse Preston and Miss Martha gallop and race all 'round de country but
de hosses was always neck and neck. Dat fall, dat race ended in a tie.
Dat what Grandpap Wash tell me.

"After they marry, my mother, Scylla, was give to Miss Martha and
'company her to Edgefield. Dere she marry de carriage driver, Hillard,
who was my pappy. I was born in a room 'joinin' de kitchen and a part of
de big kitchen. De plantation was out in de country. I never was dere,
so I can't tell you nothin' 'bout dat. De fact is, I was just a small
boy and most I know, comes from mother and grandpap. They 'low Marse
Preston was in Washington most of de time. One day he marched right in
de Senate, wid his gold head cane, and beat a Senator 'til him fainted,
'bout sumpin' dat Senator say 'bout him old kinsman, Senator Butler. Dat
turn de world up side down. Talk 'bout 'peachin' Marse Preston. Marse
Preston resign and come home. De town of Edgefield, de county of
Edgefield, de state of South Carolina, and Miss Martha, rise to
vindicate Marse Preston and 'lect him back to Washington.

"Marse Preston go back and stay dere 'til he die, in 1859. His body was
brought back to Edgefield. De nex' year de war come on. I's too young to
'member much 'bout it but my pappy die while it was goin' on. Him have
three chillun by mother: Me, Audie, and Nancy. They is dead now but I
'members them crawlin' 'round on de plank floor in de winter time and in
de sand in de summer time.

"I never worked in slavery time. Us eat from de dairy and de kitchen,
just what mistress and her chillun eat. One thing I lak then was
'matoes. They wasn't big 'matoes lak they is now. They was 'bout de size
of marbles. Us cooked them wid sugar and they was migh