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Tennessee
1213 Scovel St. Nashville, Tennessee
"I dunno jes how ole I ez. I was baw'n 'yer in Hashville, durin' slabery. I must be way pas' 90 fer I member de Yankee soldiers well. De chilluns called dem de 'blue mans.' Mah white folks was named Crockett. Dr. Crockett was our marster but I don't member 'im mahse'f. He d'ed w'en I was small. Mah marster was mean ter mah mammy w'en her oler chilluns would run 'way. Mah oler br'er went ter war wid mah marster. Mah younger br'er run 'way, day caught 'im, tuk 'im home on whup'd 'im. He run 'way en was nebber found."
"We wuzn't sold but man mammy went 'way, en lef' me on I got up one mawnin' went ter mah mammy's room, she was gon'. I cried en cried fer her. Mah Missis wouldn't let me outa' de house, fer fear I'd try ter find her. Atter freedum mah br'er on a Yankee soldier kum in a waggin en git us. Mah white folks sed, I don' see why you ez takin' dez chilluns. Mah brudder said, 'We ez free now.' I member one whup'in mah missis gib me. Me en her daughter slipped 'way ter de river ter fish. We kotch a fish en mah missis had hit cooked fer us but whup'd us fer goin' ter de river."
"Whar de Buena Vista schul ez hit useter be a Yankee soldiers Barrick. Eber mawnin' Dey hadder music. We chilluns would go on de hill, (whar the bag mill ex now) on listen ter dem. I member a black hoss de soldiers had, dat of you called 'im Jeff Davis he would run you."
"I member de ole well on Cedar Street, neah de Capitol, en six mules fell in hit. Dat was back w'en blackberries was growin' on de Capitol Hill. En Morgan Park was called de pleasure gyarden. En hit was full ob Yankee soldiers. Atter de war dere was so many German peeple ober 'yer, dat fum Jefferson Street, ter Clay Street, was called Dutch town."
"I wuzn't bawn w'en de sta'rs fell. We didn't git nothin' w'en we was freed. Dunno much 'bout de Klu Klux Klan."
"Mah mammy useter tell me how de white folks would hire de slaves out ter mek money fer de marster en she tole me sum ob de marsters would hide dere slaves ter keep de Yankees fum gittin' dem."
"I don' b'leeve in white en black ma'iages. Mah sistah ma'ied a lite man. I wouldin' marry one of hit would turn me ter gold. Dunno nothin' 'bout votin', allus tho't dat was fer de men."
"I can't think ob any tales er nuthin 'bout ghos'. 'Cept one 'bout a marster tyin' a nigger ter a fence en was beatin' 'im. A Yankee kum 'long made 'im untie de nigger en den de nigger beat de white man."
"Dis young peeples ez tough. I think half ob dem'll be hung, de way dey throw rocks at ole peeples. Dat's why I's crippled now, a white boy hit me wid a rock. I b'long ter de Methodist Chuch."
"Since freedum I'se hired out, washed en cooked fer diff'ent people. De only song I member; 'Hark Fum de Ground dis Mournful Sound.'"
