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811 9th Avenue, So. Nashville, Tennessee I was bawn in West Tennessee en was six y'ars ole w'en war broke out.
Mah Missis was Miss Jennie McCullough en she ma'ried Eldridge Casey. Mah Missis's mammy was a widder en she gib me, mah mammy, mah sistah Violet, man two br'ers Andrew en Alfred ter Miss Jennie fer a wed'un gif'. Missis Jennie en Marster Eldridge brung us ter Nashville 'fore de war sta'ted.
Mah Missis was good ter us. I'se bin w'll tuk keer ob, plenty ter eat en warm clothes ter w'ar. Right now I'se got on long underw'ar en mah chemise.
Mah mammy died fust y'ar ob freedum. Dey tuk her 'way in a two-hoss waggin, 'bout four o'clock one evenin'. Dere was no hurses er caskets den. W'en mah mammy d'ed, I still stayed wid Missis Jennie. She raised me. Dat's why folks say I'se so peculiar. De Yankee soldiers tuk mah sistah en two br'ers 'way durin' de war. I ez de mammy ob seven chilluns. All d'ed now but one.
Mah white folks didn't send me ter schul but I'se l'arned a few things ob how ter act. Don't ax me 'bout der young peeple. Dey ez pas' me. No manners 'tall.
In slavery days you didn't hab ter worry 'bout yo clothes en rations but dese days you hab ter worry 'bout eve'ything.
I 'longs ter de Baptist Chuch. Useter go ter camp-mestin's en hab a big time wid good things ter eat. Didn't go ter do baptizin' much. Dey would leave de chuch singin' en shoutin'. Dere ez three days in September dat we hab dinnah on de groun' en all Baptist git tergedder. We calls hit de 'sociation.
I'se neber voted cose dat ez de man's job. Mah frens hab nebber had political jobs. Don't b'leeve in ma'rige ob white en black en hit shouldn't be 'lowed.
Since freedum mah main job was cookin' but I'se done washin' en ironin'. Atter mah health started failing, I done a lot ob nusin'.
I'se aint abul ter wuk fur de las' five y'ars en de white folks hab hs'ped me. De relief gibes me groc'eys, coal en pays mah rent. I hope ter git de ole age pension soon. Mah ole favo'ite song ez "Mazing Grace, Row Sweet hit Sounds."
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