000 acres of land, on several farms. One was on Saluda River.
His overseers some was no good, but master wouldn't let them treat
slaves cruel, just light whipping.

"We used to have to wake up at sun-up and work till sundown. We didn't
learn to read and write; but we had a prayer house on de plantation
where we could go to sometimes, until freedom come, then we went on to
it just the same. Old man Bennefield, a nigger preacher, talked to us
there. I can 'member one of de favorite songs we sung:

'Show pity, O Lord, forgive,
Let e'er repentant sinner live;
Are not thy mercies large and free,
May not a sinner trust in Thee.'

'My crimes are great, and can't surpass,

---------------------------------------'

"None of Major Pickens Butler's slaves ever went away from him, but some
in de neighborhood did run away, and day never heard of dem again.

"The paderrollers would catch a nigger if he didn't have a pass. Some
would pass and re-pass in the road, and maybe get catched and such
scuffling would go on!

"We worked on Saturday afternoons unless boss give time off to work our
own little patches or do some other work we had to do. But some would
frolic then and wash up for Sunday, or set around. On Sunday we went to
church and talked to neighbors. On Christmas we celebrated by having a
big dinner which the master give us. We had three days holiday or
sometimes a week. We had New Year's Day as a special day for working,
'cause it was a sign if we worked good dat day, we would work good all
de year. The white folks had corn-shuckings and cotton pickings in
slavery and after freedom, too. Den would have big supper. Some
neighbors walk ten miles, like walking to church or to school. Didn't
think anything of walking dat far.

"Some of de games played by children were marbles, jump-rope.

"Once an old man had his dog trained to say his prayers. The dog was fed
but wouldn't be allowed to eat until he put his paws in front and bow
his head on dem; de old man say to him, 'No, no, you die and go to hell
if you don't say your prayers.'

"Once another fellow, a nigger, said he was going to his wife's house to
see her; but he had to pass his old partner's place on de way, who was
dead. When he got opposite the partner's place something, maybe a ghost,
came to him and wrestled with him and wouldn't let him go on to see his
wife, so he come back to his master's house and stayed.

"When the slaves got