n pull deyself 'cross de rest de way
on dem boats. De white folks rid de 'Merican side dat river all de time,
but plenty slaves git through, anyway.

"I wait on lots of sojers. I have to get smartweed and bile it in salt
water to bath dem in. Dat help de rheumatism. Dem sojers have rheumatism
so bad for standin' day and night in de water.

"Us sho' in good health dem days. Iffen a cullud man weak dey move de
muscles in he arms, bleed him and give him plenty bacon and cornbread,
and he git so strong he could lift a log. Dey didn't go in for cuttin',
like dey do now. Dey git herbs out de woods, blue mass and quinine and
calomel. I think people jes' die under pills, now. Old lady Field she
make medicine with snakeroot and larkspur and marshroot and redroot.

"After war am over Massa Tucker brung de freedom papers and read dem. He
say us all am free as Hell. Old man Charley so happy he jes' roll on de
floor like a hoss and kick he heels. De nex' mornin' mama start do
somethin' and missy cuss her out. I runned to missy and say, 'Us free as
de bird.' She sho' whup me for dat, but no more, 'cause she so mean us
all leave.

"Dat funny. Old man LaFour, what de head de patterrollers and so mean,
he de first to help us niggers after freedom. He loan us he ox team and
pay Uncle Charley a dollar de day for work and a dollar every time my
mama wash for he wife.

"Old massa and missy split up. She so bad she ain't give him no better
show dan she done us. Old massa gittin' some peaches one day and she
come after him with de buggy whip. He git on he hoss and say, 'Liz,
you's gittin' broad as de beef. You too big for me.' She so mad she spit
fire. Lightenin' done kill her, she upstairs and de big streak hits her.
It knock her under de bed.

"De first freedom work I done am pullin' up potato hills at two bits a
hunnerd. 'Bout two bits de most us could make in one day. I work two
days to buy mama de turkey hen for Christmas. Anything mama want I think
she got to have. I's growed 'fore I gits much as four bits a day. I's
done earn as much as $1.50 in my time, though.

"When I's 25 year old I marries Betty Baker but she dead now. De Rev.
Patterson he marry us. Us has four chillen livin'. Turah and Renee, dat
my gals, and Enrichs and Milton, dat my boys. Milton work in Houston and
Enrich help me farm. I's a Mason 30 year. De lodge split up now, but it
answer.

420069

[Illustration: William Branch]

WILLIAM BRANCH,