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ROSE WILLIAMS is ever 90. She was owned by William Black, a trader whose plantation lay in Boll County.
Texas. Rose and her parents were sold in 1860 to Hall Hawkins, of Bell County. Rose was forced to mate with a
slave named Rufus when she was about sixteen, and had two children by him, can born after Rose was freed. She
forced Rufus to leave her and never married. For the last ten years Rose has been blind. She lives at 1126 Hampton
St., Fort Worth, Texas.
"What I say an de facts. If I's one dey old, I's way ever 90, and I's born in Bell County, right here in Texas, and an
owned by Massa William Black. He owns mammy and pappy, tee, Massa Black has a big plantation but he has
more niggers dan he need for work on dat place, 'cause he an a nigger trader. He trade and buy and sell all de time.
"Massa Black as awful cruel and he whip de cullud folks and works 'em hard and feed dem pearly. We'uns have for
rations de ceramal and milk and 'lasses and some beans and peas and meat once a week. We'uns have to work in de
field every day from daylight till dark and on Sunday we'uns do us washin'. Church? Shucks, we'uns don't knew
what dat mean.
"I has de correct mem'randum of when de war start. Massa Black sold we'un right don. Mammy and pappy powerful
glad to git sold, and dey and I is put on do black with 'bout ten other niggers. When we'uns gits to de tradin' black,
dere lets of white folks dere what come to lock us ever. One man shows de intres' in pappy. Him named Hawkins.
He talk to pappy and pappy talk to him and say. 'Dan my woman and chiles. Please buy all of us and have mercy on
we'uns.' Massa Hawkins say. 'Dat gal am a likely lookin' nigger, she am portly and strong, but three am mere dan I
wants, I guesses.'
"De sale start and 'fore long pappy am put on de block. Massa Hawkins wine de bid for pappy and when mammy
am put on de block, he wins de bid for her. Don dere an three or four other niggers sold befo' my time comes. Den
massa Black calls me to de block and de auction man say, 'What am I offer for dis portly, strong young wench. She's
never been 'bused and will make de good hreeder.'
"I wants to hear Massa Hawkins bid, but him say nothin'. Two other sen am biddin' 'gainst each other and I she' has
de worryment. Dere am tears comin' down my checks 'cause I's bein' sold to some man dat would make sep'ration
from my mammy. One man bids $500and de auction man ask, 'De I hear more? She am gwine at $500.00.' Dan
someone say, $525.00 and de auction man say, 'She an sold for $525.00 to Massa Hawkins. Am I glad and 'cited!
Why, I's quiverin' all ever.
"Massa Hawkins takes we'uns to his place and it am a nice plantation. Lots better am dat place dan Massa Black's.
Dere is 'bout 50 niggers what is growed and lots of chillen, De first thing massa de when we'uns gits home am give
we'uns rations and a cabin. You mus' believe dis nigger whom I says dem rations a feast for us. Dere plenty meat
and tea and coffee and white flour. I's never tasted white flour and coffee and mammy fix some biscuits and coffee.
Well, de biscuits was yum, yum. yum to me, but de coffee I doesn't like.
"De quarters am purty good. Dere am twelve cabins all made from legs and a table and some benches and bunks for
sleepin' and a fireplace for cookin' and de heat. Dere am no floor, jus' de ground.
"Massa Hawkins am good to he niggers and not force 'em work too hard. Dere an as much diff'ence 'tween him and
old Massa Black in de way of treatment as 'twixt de Lawd and de devil. Massa Hawkins 'lows he niggers have
reason'ble parties and go fishin', but we'uns am never tocken to church and has no books for larnin'. Dere am no
edumcation for de niggers.
"Dare am one thing Massa Hawkins does to me what I can't shunt from my mind. I knows he don't de it for
meanness, but I allus holds it 'gainst him. What he done am force me to live with dat nigger, Rufus, 'gainst my
wants.
"After I been at he place 'bout a year, de massa come to me and say. 'You gwine live with Rufus in dat cabin over
yonder. Go fix it for livin'.' I's 'bout sixteen year old and has no larnin', and I's jus' igno'nus chile. I's thought dat him
mean for me to tend de cabin for Rufus and some other niggers. Well, dat an start de pestigation for me.
"I's take charge of de cabin after work am done and fixes supper. Hew. I don't like dat Rufus, 'cause he a bully. He
am big and 'cause he so, he think everybody de what him say. We'uns has supper, den I goes here and dere talkin',
till I's ready for sleep and den I gits in de bunk. After I's in, dat nigger come and crawl in de bunk with me 'fore I
knews it. I says, 'What you means, you fool nigger?' He say for me to hush de mouth. 'Dis so my bunk, too,' he say.
"You's teched in de head. Git out," I's told him, and I puts de feet 'gainst him and give his a shove and out he go on
de floor 'fore he knew what I's doin'. Dat nigger jump up and he and. He look like de wild bear. He starts for de
bunk and I jumps quick for de poker. It am 'bout three feet long and when he comes at me I lets him have it over he
head. Did dat nigger stop in he tracks? I's say he did. He looks at no steady for a minute and you's could toll he
thinkin' hard. Dam he go and set on de bench and say, 'Jus wait. You thinks it am smart, but you's am foolish in de
head. Dey's gwine larn you somethin'.
"'Hush yous big mouth and sty 'way fron dis nigger, dat all I wants,' I say, and jus' sets and hold dat poker in de
hand. He jus' sets, lookin' like de bull. Dere we'uns sets and sets for 'bout an hour and den he go out and I bars de
door.
"De nex' day I goes to de missy and tells her what Rufus wants and missy say dat am de massa's wishes. She say,
'Yous am de portly gal and Rufus am de pertly man. De massa wants you-uns for to bring forth portly chillen.
"I's thinkin' 'bout what de missy say, but say to myse'f, 'I's not gwine live with dat Rufus.' Dat night when him come
in de cabin, I grabs de poker and sits on de bench and says, 'Git 'way from me, nigger, 'fore I busts yous brains out
and stomp on den.' He say nothin' and git out.
"De nex' day de massa call me and tell me, 'Woman, I's pay big money for you and I's done dat for de cause I wants
yous to raise me chillens. I's put yous to live with Rufus for dat purpose. Now, if you doesn't want whippin' at de
stake, yous de what I wants.
"I thinks 'bout massa buyin' me offen de block and savin' me from bein' sep'rated from my folks and 'bout bein'
whipped at de stake. Dere it am. What am I's to do? So I 'cides to do as de massa wish and so I yields.
"When we'uns am given freedom, Massa Hawkins tells us we can stay and work for wages or share crop de land.
Some stays and some goes. My folks and me stays. We works de land on shares for three years, don moved to other
land near by. I stays with my folks till they dies.
"If my mem'randum am correct, it am 'bout thirty year since I come to Fort Worth. Here I cooks for white folks till I
goes blind 'bout ten year ago.
"I never marries, 'cause one 'sperience an 'nough for dis nigger. After what I does for de massa, I's never wants no
truck with any man. De Lawd forgive dis cullud woman, but he have to 'scuse me and look for some others for to
'plenish de earth.
Williams, Rose -- Additional Interview
Rose Williams, 90, was born a slave to Mr. Wm. Black, a slave trader who owned many slaves in addition to Rose's
parents and a plantation in Bell Co., Tex. Rose was about 15 years old at the start of the Civil War when she and her
parents with about 10 other slaves were sold in a public acution to Mr. Hall Hawkins. Mr. Hawkins owned a
plantation with about 50 slaves in Bell Co., Tex. The buying and selling of slaves and the mating of the largest
slaves being an ordinary function on the plantations, Rose was forced to mate and live with another slave when she
was but 16 years old. She made him leave after her freedom. She had two children by him, one of them born after
freedom. This early domestic experience created in her an antipathy against marriage which she retained the rest of
her life and she has never married. She worked as a farm laborer until about 30 years ago, when she moved to Ft.
Worth. She has been blind and unable to work the past 10 years. She now resides at 1126 Hampton St., Ft. Worth,
Tex. Her story:
"W'at statement I's make am de facts. I's not gwine to Huntsville (Tex. State Prison) fo' nothin'.
"If I's one day ol', I's 90 fo' sho. I's bo'n in Bell County, Texas, an' am owned by Marster William Black. He owned
my mammy an' pappy too. I's too small to have de correct mem'randum but I's 'membahs w'en de wah stahts, I's
herdin' sheep an' tu'keys an' 'tendin' chickens an' sich.
"Marster Black had quite a large plantation but he owned mo' niggers dan he needs fo' wo'k on his place 'cause he
am a nigger trader. He trades, buys an' sells all de time.
"Marster am awful cruel. He whups de cullud fo'ks, wo'ks dem hahd an' feeds dem poorly. Weuns have fo' rations
de co'n meal, milk, 'lasses, beans an' peas. Weuns had meat twice a week. Dere am no tea or coffee, an' sich as w'ite
flouah, weuns don't know w'at dat looks lak. Weuns have to wo'k in de field ever' day f'om daylight 'til dahk an' on
Sunday, weuns do de washin'. Chu'ch? Shucks, weuns don't know w'at dat means.
"I's 'membahs heahin' de fo'ks talkin' 'bout de wah stahtin' w'en Marster Black sold weuns. Mammy an' pappy am
powe'ful glad to be sold, 'cept dat deys worried 'bout bein' sep'rated but my folks fo' to be sold to some good
Marster. Mammy, pappy an' I's put on de block wid 'bout 10 udder niggers.
"W'en weuns gits to de tradin' block, dere was a lot ob w'ite fo'ks dere dat come to look de slaves over. I's b'lieve
dere was 'bout 50 niggers dere fo' sale. De w'ite fo'ks am lookin' dis one an' dat one over an' co'se, dey looks weuns
over. Dere am one man dat shows interest in pappy. Him named Hawkins. He talk to pappy, an' pappy talks to him
an' says,
"Dem am my women an' chil's. Please buy weuns an' have mercy on weuns."
"Marster Hawkins looks at weuns. I's po'tly an' strong as de mule. He den says, "A lakly lookin' nigger but three am
mo' dan I's wants, I's guess."
"De sale stahts an' 'twarnt long 'til pappy am put on de block. Marster Hawkins wins de bid fo' pappy an' w'en
mammy am put on de block, he also wins de bid fo' her. Den dere am two or three udder niggers sold befo' my time
comes. Den Marster Black calls weuns to block. De auction man says, "How much am I's offered fo' dis po'tly,
strong young wench? She never been 'bused an' will make a good breedah".
"I's wants to heah Marster Hawkins bid, but him says nothin'. Two udder men am biddin' 'gainst each udder. I's sho
have de worryment. Dere am tears comin' down my cheeks 'cause I's bein' sold to some pahty dat would cause
sep'ration f'om my mammy. One ob de biddahs bid $500.00 an' de auction man am askin', "Do I's heah mo'? She am
gwine at $500.00".
"Den some one says, "$525.00". No one bid highah an' de auction man says, "She am gwine fo' $525.00, she am
gwine fo' $525.00,
she am sold fo' $525.00 to Marster Hawkins. Am I's glad an' 'cited? W'y, I's quiverin' all over.
"Marster Hawkins tooks weuns to his place an' it am a nice plantation. Lots bettah dan Marster Balck's. Dere am
'bout 50 wo'kin' niggers on de place. De fust thing de Marster does w'en weuns gits home am give weuns rations an'
a cabin. W'ite man, yous b'lieve dis nigger w'en I's says dem rations was a feast fo' weuns. Dere was plenty ob meat,
some tea an' a little coffee. I's never taste w'ite flouah befo', nor de coffee. Mammy made some biscuits an' fix some
coffee. Well, de biscuits was, yum, yum, to me but de coffee, I's don't lak.
"De quatahs fo' de cullud fo'ks am 'bout lak it am on Marster Black's place. Dere am 12 cabins an' all made f'om
logs wid jus' a table, benches, bunks fo' sleepin' an' a fiah place fo' cookin' an' de heat. Dere am no flooah, jus' de
groun'.
"Marster Hawkins never fo'ces de niggers to wo'k on Satid'y aftahnoon or on a Sunday, 'cept w'en dey am rushed
wid de wo'k an' he never overwo'ks his cullud fo'ks. Dere am as much diffe'nce 'twix Marster Hawkins an' Marster
Black in de way ob treatment as dere is 'twix de Lawd an' de devil. Marster Hawkins 'lows his niggers to have
reasonable pahties, 'lows dem passes fo' to go places, an' 'lows dem to go fishin' sometimes but weuns never am
tooken to chu'ch an' dere am no books on de place fo' larnin', so dere am no edumacation fo' de niggers.
"Dere am one thing dat Marster Hawkins does to me dat I's can not shunt f'om my mind. I's know dat he don't do it
fo' meanness, but I's will always hold it 'gainst him. W'at he done am fo'ced me to live wid nigger Rufus 'gainst my
wants.
"Aftah I's am at Marster Hawkins' place 'bout a yeah, de Marster comes to me one day an' says, "Yous gwine to live
wid Rufus in dat cabin over dere". Him points out de one an' tells me to fix it fo' livin'. I's 'bout 17 yeahs ol' den an'
co'se, had no larnin'. I's jus' igno'mus chil's. I's thought dat him means fo' me to sep'rate f'om my fo'ks an' 'tend to de
cabin fo' Rufus an' some udder niggers. Well, dat am de staht ob pestigation fo' me.
"I's took charge ob de cabin aftah my wo'k am done an' fix suppah fo' Rufus. Now I's don't lak dat cullud man,
'cause he am a bully. He am big an' 'cuase he am so, he thinks ever'body mus' do as him says. Weuns have suppah,
den I's goes heah an' dere an' ta'ks to udder fo'ks 'til I's ready fo' sleep an' den I's goes an' fix my bunk. Aftah I's in
de bunk, dat nigger comes an' crawls in de bunk wid me befo' I's know w'at he am a doin'.
"W'at yous mean? Yous fool nigger, a gittin' in my bunk, I's says to him.
"Hush yous mouth! Dis am my bunk too", he says.
"Yous tetched in de head. Git out! I's told him, an' I's put my feet 'gainst him, give him a shove an' out he goes on de
flooah befo' he knows w'at I's a doin'. Dat nigger jumps up, an' am he mad. He looks lak a wild boar. He stahts fo'
de bunk whar I's is an' I's jumps quick fo' de pokah. It am 'bout three feet long an' w'en he comes at me, I's let him
have it over his head. Did dat nigger stop in his tracks? I's says he did. He looks at me steadily fo' a minute. Yous
could tell him am thinkin hahd 'bout me. Den he goes an' sits on de bench an' says,
"Jus' wait. Yous think it am smaht, but yous am foolish in de head. Deys gwine to larn you something".
"Hush yous big mouth an' stay 'way f'om dis nigger, dat's all I's wants", I's says to him an' jus' sits an' holds dat
pokah in my hand an' he jus' sits a lookin' lak de bull. Dere weuns sits an' sits fo' 'bout an' hour. Den he goes out an'
I's bar de dooah.
"De nex' day, I's go to de Missy an' tell her w'at Rufus wants to do. De Missy says dat am de Marster's wishes. She
says, "Yous am a po'tly girl an' Rufus am a po'tly man. De Marster wants youens fo' to bring fo'th po'tly chilluns".
"I's thinkin' 'bout w'at de Missy says but says to myse'f, "I's not gwine to live wid him". Dat night w'en Rufus comes
in de cabin, I's grabs de pokah an' sits on de bench an' says to him, "Keep 'way f'om me nigger, fo' I's bust yous
brains out an' stomp on dem". He says nothin' an' leaves de cabin.
"De next day de Marster calls me to him an' tells me, "Woman, I's pay big money fo' yous an' I's done dat fo' de
cause I's wants yous to raise me chilluns. I's put yous to live wid Rufus fo' dat pu'pose. Now if yous don't want to be
whupped at de stake, yous do w'at I's want".
"I's think 'bout de Marster buyin' me off de block an' save an' save me f'om bein' sep'rated f'om my fo'ks an' 'bout
bein' whupped at de stake. Dere it am. W'at am I's to do? So I's 'cides to do as de Marster wishes an' so I's yield.
"W'en weuns am given de freedom, Marster Hawkins tells all us cullud fo'ks dat weuns could stay an' wo'k fo'
wages or share crop de land. Some ob de fo'ks stay an' some ob de fo'ks lef'. My fo'ks an' me stayed. Weuns wo'ked
de land on shares fo' three yeahs, den moved to udder land neah de Marster's place. I's stayed wid my fo'ks 'til deys
died, an' den I's went to wo'k fo' udder fo'ks.
"If my mem'randum am correct, it am 30 yeahs ago dat I's come to Fort Worth. Heah I's wo'k fo' w'ite fo'ks as de
cook 'til I's go blind. Dat am 'bout 10 yeahs ago.
"Mai'ied? Never! No Sar! One 'sperience am 'nough fo' dis nigger. Aftah w'at I's do fo' de Marster, I's never want
any truck wid any man. De Lawd fo'give dis cullud woman but he have to 'scuse me an' look fo' some udder persons
fo' to 'plemish de earth. Anyway, its too late now. I's done lived my life.
"Fo' de las' ten yeahs, my w'ite an' cullud fo'ks friends 'tend to me havin' food an' a place to sleep. I's thankful fo'
dat. In a little w'ile, dis nigger will go to Jordan an' den weuns shall have rest an' peace.
(Smith, William E., Dist. #8, Palestine, Texas, 10-22-37, (No))
Williams, Rose
I is Rose Williams. I was bo'n in Chatfield Texas, bout ninety years ago. I never had any correct statement, but
when I was bo'n, it has allus been jest guess work, I jest goin by what de white folks guessin at. My first marster
was Ray Nobles. My mothers name was Rose Nobles, my fathers name was Tom Nobles. I don't know where dey
comes from ter Texas, I never did have any brothers er sisters as I knows of. Wells sah, my life wid my father and
mother was very short as I was stripped stark naked and got upon de auction block when I was still nursin. I dont
even member zactly what my mother looks like, but I can member seems like how she cried when I was sold and
dey tooks me away from her. Dat was de last time I ever seed her. A marster Cooksey bought me here at Corsicana.
Later so I heard, my mother was sold and carried way south and my father was whipped ter death. When marster
Cooksey bought me I was brought in here close ter Corsicana and was fixed a straw bed on de floor in a side room,
dat is what I slept all by myself. And my grandpa and grandma, I never heard of dem. While I was at de Cooksey
home, soons as I got big nuff I done work round de house til I was bout twelve or thirteen years ole, and den I was
sold ter marster George Smith and I was give a little side room wid a straw and shuck bed, dis was a little better
place den what I had been and dey was better to me too. Here I done de house work and tends ter de chilluns. In
dem days, dar was no such things as a niggah makin money der white folks kept all dat ter demselves. De slaves jest
got what work dey could do and clothes and what dey eats. Dat was one thing marster Smith was good bout, feedin
his slaves. We had pork, beef, goat, sheep, possum, rabbit and some fish, and all de vegetables we wanted, co'n
bread ever day if we wanted it, and we wanted it ever day, ceptin twice a week, den we got biscuits.
De biscuits was made outen shorts er whole wheat. Der was jest one big garden bout twelve acres in it I guess, but I
likes de meat de best and I still does.
De clothes dat we wore was made right dar what we lives, first we picks de cotton in baskets, den feeds it ter a little
ole gin. You aint never seed one ob dem kind, shore was a funny lookin contrapshun. Den it was carded, spinned,
and den weaved and made into our clothes. We wore de same kind of clothes summer and winter and more in de
summer den most folks do now in de winter. Sunday didn't make no difference, we never did wears any shoes til we
got grown, and we wore dem on speshul occashions. My feet got fros bitten lotsa times. My weddin clothes was jest
de same only I did puts on my first pairs of shoes ter get married in.
I had three marsters durin slavery time, marster Ray Nobles, Marster Cooksey, and Marster George Smith. Marster
George was a fine man I thinks. He bout five feet ten inches tall, weighs bout one hundred sixty pounds and had
blue eyes and brown hair. His wife was a little smallerin him and had brown eyes and dark hair. She shore was good
ter learn me things, how ter cook different things, how ter patch so it would look nice, and tole me lots of things I
ought ter know. I shore thought lots of her. Dey had five chilluns two boys and three girls, shore was pretty little
things too. Dem boys was all de time tryin ter aggervate me and doin mean things but de girls would tell me if dey
seed em, but I likes dem if dey was full of de mischief.
De house dey lives in was made of logs dat was hauled from east Texas and hewed down square had four rooms and
a hall clear through. It was a purty nice lookin house. De overseah er drivah lived in a little log house ter his self. He
was a little more important den de rest of us slaves. De rest of de slaves lived in log houses and two families ter de
cabin. Didn't make no difference how many kids dey had either, dey had ter live der.
Marster George had bout fifty er sixty slaves countin chilluns and all and de best I can member, he had bout four er
five hundert acres in his plantation. De drivah wakes dem all up at foah clock in de morning, he rings a big bell and
you bettah get up too if you aint sick. And dey was in de field fore sun up and works til after sun down, and if you
wants a licken jest fool roun likes dey do now, er gets sacy when you is tole ter do a little more. But marster George
didnt have but two whipped while I was with him, and one of dem got a little cross with de drivah, de other lied
bout feeden de pigs; he feeds dem bout half what he sposed to one night cause he didn't want ter shell so much co'n.
Dey jest ties der hands ter gether and above der heads ter a pole and de drivah hits dem with a cat o'nine tails but he
didn't whip dem as hard as some de others round there, but jest a few licks wid dis cat-o-nine tails was hurtin bad
nuff when you was turned lose.
Dare never was a jail on any of de plantations what I was. I has seen several sold jest out right sold jest like a cow er
a horse. And if one was gettin ole and a few gray hairs growin out, dey would have em pulled out cause dat would
ruin de sale of em. I has been tole dat back east when de speckalaters came through and buys some slaves dey
would chain er tie em together and makes de big uns walk and let de chilluns ride.
Dar was as many as one hundert in a drove but de says dat de speckalaters warnt so bad west of de Mississippi
Rivah. I never did seed any of dese chain droves, I jest been tole dat.
Marster George Smith's wife tried ter learn me ter read n' write but I done too thick headed and I didn't learn too
much, but I'se can read and write a little.
We all went ter church a little and some could reads but most of dem couldn't read. But we didn't have no church on
de plantation, we jest went ter de white folks church and set outside. We didn't have no favorite preacher er songs.
I'se seed de babtisin when bout twenty five or more would wade out in de middle of a tank of water and listen ter
what de preachah would say and den be babtised. Now de buryins I never did go ter one of em. When some of de
white folks died every thing stopped, but when one of de slaves died dey jest kept workin and sent de body off ter
be buried.
I never did hear of any of de slaves runnin away ter de north. De only way dey carried any news was ter get a pass
ter go ter another plantation, makin out like dey was goin ter see some one and when dey gits dar dey would talk der
heads off.
Der slaves all worked hard every day in dem days and when dey comes in from work, de chores has ter be done, but
if dey was behind wid de work dey would have ter shuck co'n at night, er haul in fodder er hay. Dey never did work
on Satity evenins unless dey was behind wid de work, and if dey was behind dey worked night and day ter ketch up.
And when Satity night comes dey was all glad ter rest. Sometimes on Sunday we went ter church but not allus. We
allus got some holidays, Christmas, and de Foath of July, but de Foath was allus the biggest one.
Marster Smith allus gives us a big feed on de Foath of July and we had plenty of water melons, but on New Years
day we allus done a big days work.
De co'n shuckin was allus done in de wintah er rainy weather, de shucks was made into beds, er fed ter de stock as
was needed. When cotton pickin comes along ever body picks cotton, chilluns and all and dey picks in de big
baskets. Cotton sacks wasn't heard of den, but dey picks lots of cotton in dem baskets.
We never did have no dances, wasnt lowed to, marster Smith said he didnt have no time fer dat yellin round. When I
was a child I didnt have no time ter play games, I allus had some kind of work ter do.
Dat has been too long. I done fergot what riddles er charms dar was if dar was any. Dey was allus tellin stories bout
some ghos er sumpin er other, but I done fergot what dey was. But dey had some work songs and hollers, I has
heard em singing while goin ter work early of a mornin but I done fergot dem too. Dar never was nothin funny dat
happen to me, and dese ghos dat lots of dese people claims dey saw, I never has seed any of dem, I guess I never
was at de right place at de time dey come round.
When de slaves get sick dey was tended to, if dey got too sick a doctor was sent for. When de slaves got sick dey
was given de bitterest medicine a doctor could git, er dey would go out and git some ole big bitter weeds and makes
a tea outen it and makes em drink it. Guess it was good fer dem though, dey generally allus got well. De asphidity
was de only thing I knows of dey wears and it keeps off mos all de common diseases.
Cose every body knew de war was comin on and dey all knew when de war was on cause de white marsters sent
some one er went dem selves and sent some hosses, co'n and meat of all kinds, dey sent wheat and dey sent lots of it
too, dey also sent money too, cose we didnt know how much but we knows dey sends it. De day we was freed,
Marster George call us all up and says yoah is all free ter do as yoah please wid yoah selves go what yoah please,
now iffen yoah all wants ter stay yoah is welcome. But dare didnt none of us stayed, we all left, why de niggahs day
jest scatter like quails dey goes in every dereckshun, and none of dem knows what dey is goin, dey was jest goin
dats all.
De first year after de war we works fer a man by de day out north of Corsicana we jest lived dat year and dat was
all. We didnt know how ter spend money and dat wintah we got hungry, we didnt have sence nuff ter puts up
sumpin fer wintah. I married Ike Williams fore de war was over, but we marries agin after de war, cause de first one
wasnt legal we was married by de Judge at de court house, he sent or tole ever body ter come ter de court house and
gits married right, we seed three other families married over.
Ike didnt live long after dat, he died de second year after de war, and I never has married any more. We had one
chile, it died too while it was still a baby. I don't have no livin relatives dat I knows of, I jest lives here alone in my
little home.
(Davis, B. E., Madisonville, Texas, District No. 8, 30 July 1937, (No))
