h a wooden plow and druv
Marse Byrd lots, 'cause he was a trader, slave trade most the time. He
was good to us and give us lots to eat. He had a big garden and plenty
sugar cane, and brown sugar. We'd press the juice out the cane 'tween
two logs and cook it in the big washpot.

"We had sheepskin clothes in cold weather, with the fur part inside, no
shoes less'n we wropped our feet in fur hides. But them clothes was
warmer than these here cotton overalls. They're plumb cold!

Marse Sam was full of life and Missus Josie was real good. They had a
nice home of that day, made out split logs and four rooms and a hall two
ways through it.

"That great iron piece hung jes' outside the door and Marse Sam hit it
at 3:30 every mornin'. If we didn't muster out he come round with that
cat-o-nine-tails and let us have it, and we knowed what that bell was
for nex' mornin'. Sometimes when Marse Sam was gone, we'd have a
overseer. He'd let us go swimmin' in the creek when the work was done.

"If a nigger was mean Marse Sam give him fifty licks over a log the
first time and seventy-five licks the second time and 'bout that time he
most gen'rally had a good nigger. If they was real mean and he couldn't
do nothin' with 'em, he put them in the jail with a chain on the feets
for three days, and fed 'em through a crack in the wall.

"On Christmas Marse Sam had a great big eggnog and kilt a big beef and
had fireworks, and the nigger, he know Christmas was come. We had plenty
to eat and eggnog and did 'bout what we pleased that day and New Year's.
The white folks allus said what we'd do on them days we'd do all year.
That's all foolishment, but some still believes in it.

"They give a big dance and all night supper when war started. Then Marse
Sam, he carries me for waterboy and cook and to tend his hosses. He had
two, and rid one this day and the other nex' day. He was 'fraid one git
kilt and then he wouldn't be slam a-foot.

"When them big guns went to poppin', I jes' couldn't stand it without
gittin' in a brush top. Then marse goes and gits shot and I has to be
his nuss. But, Lawd-a-me, one them Yankee gals, she falls in love with
marse whilst he lays nearly dead, and she say, 'William, he's mine, so
you got to take good care of him.' And him with a plumb good wife back
home!

"When Marse Sam git well, he say he's goin' to 'nother place to fight.
He was with General Lee when that old war was over and that there Yankee
General Grant