e swim de
crick. Him stayed over his leave dat was writ on de pass. Patarollers
(patrollers) come ask for de pass. They say: 'De time done out,
nigger.' Pappy try to explain but they pay no 'tention to him. Tied him
up, pulled down his breeches, and whupped him right befo' mammy and us
chillun. I shudder, to dis day, to think of it. Marse Tom and Miss Jane
heard de hollerin' of us all and come to de place they was whuppin' him
and beg them, in de name of God, to stop, dat de crick was still up and
dangerous to cross, and dat they would make it all right wid pappy's
marster. They say of pappy: 'Jeff swim 'cross, let him git de mule and
swim back.' They make pappy git on de mule and follow him down to de
crick and watch him swim dat swif' muddly crick to de other side. I
often think dat de system of patarollers and bloodhounds did more to
bring on de war and de wrath of de Lord than anything else. Why de good
white folks put up wid them poor white trash patarollers I never can see
or understand. You never see classy white buckra men a paterrollin'. It
was always some low-down white men, dat never owned a nigger in deir
life, doin' de patarollin' and a strippin' de clothes off men, lak
pappy, right befo' de wives and chillun and beatin' de blood out of him.
No, sir, good white men never dirty deir hands and souls in sich work of
de devil as dat.

"Mammy had nine chillun. All dead 'cept Oliver. Him still down dere wid
de Duke Power Company people, I think. When I come sixteen years old,
lak all gals dat age, I commence to think 'bout de boys, and de boys, I
'spects, commence to take notice of me. You look lak you is surprised I
say dat. You is just puttin' on. Old and solemn as you is, a settin'
dere a writin', I bets a whole lot of de same foolishness have run
through your head lak it run through Jerry's, when he took to goin' wid
me, back in 1873. Now ain't it so?

"Us chillun felt de pivations (privations) of de war. Us went in rags
and was often hungry. Food got scarce wid de white folks, so much had to
be given up for de army. De white folks have to give up coffee and tea.
De slaves just eat corn-bread, mush, 'taters and buttermilk. Even de
peas was commanded for de army. Us git meat just once a week, and then a
mighty little of dat. I never got a whuppin' and mammy never did git a
whuppin'.

"Us all went to Wateree Presbyterian Church on Sunday to hear Mr.
Douglas preach. Had two sermons and a picnic dinner on de g