a home and a mule.
Dat preachin' de Rev. Dickey done sure did rile up de folks--dat is de
most of them like de Kendricks and Mr. Eldredge and Dr. Murcheson and
Nat Walker and such as dem what was de biggest of the slaveowners.
Right away atter Rev. Dickey done such preachin' dey fired him from de
church, an' 'bused him, an' some of dem say dey gwine hang him to a
limb, or either gwine ride him on a rail out of de country. Sure
enough dey made it so hot on dat man he have to leave clean out of de
state so I heered. No suh, Boss, they say they ain't gwine divide up
no land with de niggers or give them no home or mule or their freedom
or nothin'. They say dey will wade knee deep in blood an' die first.

"When de War start to break out, Mars Sam listed in de troops and was
sent to Virginny. There he stay for de longest. I hear old mis'
tellin' 'bout de letters she got from him, an' how he wishin' they
hurry and start de battle so's he can get through killin' de Yankees
an' get de War over an' come home. Bless my soul, it wasn't long
before dey had de battle what Mars Sam was shot in. He writ de letter
from de hospital where they had took him. He say dey had a hard fight,
dat a ball busted his gun, and another ball shoot his cooterments
(accouterments) off him; the third shot tear a big hole right through
the side of his neck. The doctor done sew de wound up; he not hurt so
bad. He soon be back with his company.

"But it wasn't long 'fore dey writ some more letters to old mis' an'
say dat Mars Sam's wound not gettin' no better; it wasn't healin' to
do no good; every time dat they sew de gash up in his neck it broke
loose again. De Yankees had been puttin' poison grease on the bullets.
Dat was de reason de wound wouldn't get well. Dey feared Mars Sam
goin' to die an' a short time atter dat letter come I sure knowed it
was so. One night just erbout dusk dark, de screech owls, dey come in
er swarm an' lit in de big trees in de front of de house. A mist of
dust come up an' de owls, dey holler an' carry on so dat old mars get
he gun an' shot it off to scare dem erway. Dat was a sign, Boss, dat
somebody gwine to die. I just knowed it was Mars Sam.

"Sure enough de next day dey got de message dat Mars Sam dead. Dey
brung him home all de way from Virginny an' buried him in de
grave-yard on de other side of de garden wid his gray clothes on him
an' de flag on de coffin. That's what I'se telling you, Boss, 'cause
dey called all de