t kumin', but hit didn't tek me long ter git back
in de back ob de house. I wuz skeered dey would shoot.

Mah marster run a fer'y en atter de gun boat kum up de riber, he got
skeered en gib mah ole man de fer'y, en w'en de soldiers kum ter tek
Fort Negley he set dem 'cross de river.

A man at Ashland City dat made whisk'y would hab Mr. Simpkins bring a
load ob logs up ter Ashland City en den bring a load ob whiskey down
en hide hit so de Yankees would'nt git hit.

Mah marster had a fish trap at de mouth ob Harper en w'en de gun boat
passed dey shot thro' de trap.

I wuz right 'yer w'en de Civil wah wuz gwin on, en de soldiers wuz
dressed up en beatin' de drums.

No honey we didn't git nothin' w'en we wuz freed. Jes druv 'way widout
nothin' ter do wid. We got in a waggin en druv ter nuther man's
plantashun. Mah ole man made a crap dere. Sum ob de slaves might hab
got sump'in but I dunno nobody dat did. I wuz skeered ter op'n mah
do'er atter dark on 'count ob Ku Klux Klan, dey wuz red hot.

I member w'en de sta'rs fell. I wuz small but de ole folks run out en
looked at dem, kum back set down en cried, dey tho't hit me'nt de
worl' wuz kumin' ter an end.

De peeple wuz skeered w'en dey se'd de comet wid de long tail. Dey
tho't hit wuz a sign ob wah.

I'se cooked eve'y since I wuz freed. I stayed in Henry Galbles kitchen
five long y'ars, en since I'se had dese strokes hit's broke me up
'till I kin do nothin'. I 'long ter de Methodist Church. I think de
young peeples ez turrible, en dis white en black mar'iags not be
'lowed.

De songs I member ez:

"Dark wuz de Night".
"Good Ole Daniel".

I'se nebber voted but I'se electioneered fer dem. Hab nebber had any
frens in office.

I wuz 'yer w'en Henry Clay en James K. Polk wuz runnin'. I wuz hired
at de ole City Hotel ovuh on de river. I wuz din'in room servant dere.
Mah marster would hab me sing a song fer him 'bout de Democrats.
"Hooray de kuntry ez risin'; rise up en drown ole Clay en his pizen".
I guess ole Clay wuz a right good fellow but he played cards wid de
niggers in de cellar.

De only thing I member 'bout de 'structshun time wuz sum ob de whites
didn't wan' de niggers ter vote.

I stays 'yer wid mah daughter. Dat ez de only support I hab since I
had deze strokes en bin unable ter do fer mahse'f.

_Ex-Slave Stories_

Subject: _Joseph_ _Leonidas_ _Star_,
# 133 Quebec Place,
_Knoxville_, _Tennessee_

If the poetic strain in the Dunbar Negr