s so good
the men would come to his plantation.

"We all wore the long chemise. Made out of heavy cloth. They made the
cloth on the place and the women sewed it up. We didn't wear the shoes.
We didn't like them when we had them.

"Each slave could have the little garden. They raised vegetables and had
a couple of beehives for the honey.

"When the Yankees came they told us we could be free, but I don't know
of any slaves that left. Old M'sieur died of the fever in the second
year of the war. His wife died before he did. No children. They sold us,
the house and everything. M'sieur Cyprien Arceneaux of Lafayette bought
me and Madame Arvillien Bernard of St. Pierre bought the mama. They used
to call it St. Pierre. They call it Carenero now. When war was finished
I left M'sieur Arceneaux and lived with mama.

"A year and a half after that the mama married a black man and us three
farmed the little farm. My steppapa didn't like me. I was light. He and
me couldn't get along. So when I had 20 years I left there and hired
myself out. I saved till I bought a little piece of land for myself.
Then I married and raised the family. Me and my wife and the children
farmed that place up to ten years ago and then she died. My son farms
the place now and I came to Beaumont. I live with my girl.

"I remember me in time of war we danced. Round dances. We sang and
danced La Boulangere in time of war. De song go:

"'La Boulangere ait ta victoire
Et nous, qui sont en guerre,
Voici le jour que je dois partir.

"'Mon cher ami, tu pars,
Tu me laisses un enfant dans les bras
et prend tes armes.
Et moi, je vais dans le moment
verser des larmes.

"'Quand je serai en le guerre, [Handwritten Note: a la guerre?]
Tu serais de garnison,
Et tu m'oublirais moi,
Qui serai en les haillons.

"'J'entends le tombour qui m'appelle
A les points de jour.
Mon cher Armande, si tu m'aimes
Tu penserais a moi, quand tu serais,
Dans tes plaisir.
Moi--que serai au bout du fusil!'

"I got one real scare. I was with M'sieur Arceneaux in Lafayette. There
was the battle. Lots of fighting. Lots of killing. The Yankees came
right inside the house. I stayed hid.

"I don't know whether it's been better since the war. At all times one
has his miseries. We managed to get along on the farm. But now I have
nothing. Oh, I don't mean slavery was better than to be free. I mean
times were better.

"The reason I'm so light is, my mama was half-white. M