Jacob Branch

  Jacob Branch , about 86, was a slave of the Van Loos family, in Louisiana, who sold him when a baby to Elisha Stevenson , of Double Bayou, Texas. Jacob helps his son.  Enrichs, farm, and is unusually agile for his age. They live in the Double Bayou settlement, near Beaumont, Texas.  "I's bought and fetched here to Double Bayou when I's jes' three year old. I and my half-brother. Eleck , he de baby, was both born in Louisiana on de Van Loos place, but I go by de name of Branch , 'cause my daddy name Branch . My mama name Renee . Dey split up us family and Elisha Stevenson buy my mama and de two chillen. I ain't never see my daddy no more and don't 'member him at all.  "Old 'Lisha Stevenson he a great one for to raise pigs. He sell sometime 500 hawgs at one time. He take he dogs and drive dem hawgs 'cross de Noches River all by hisself, to sell dem. Dat how he git money to buy de niggers, sellin' hawgs and cowhides. "Old massa he sho' a good old man, but de old missy, she a tornado! Her name Miss 'Liza . She could be terrible mean. But sometime she take her old morel - dat a sack make for to carry things in - and go out and come back with plenty joints of sugar cane. She take a knife and sit on de gallery and peel dat cane and give a joint to every one de li'l chillen.  "Mama, she work up in de big house, doin' cookin' and washin'. Old massa go buy a cullud man name Uncle Charley Fenner . He a good old cullud man. Massa brung him to de quarters and say, 'Renee , here you husband,' and den he turn to Uncle and say, 'Charley , dis you woman.' Den dey consider marry. Dat de way dey marry den, by de massa's word. Uncle Charley , he good step-pa to us. "De white folks have de good house with a brick chimney. Us quarters de good, snug li'l house with flue and oven. Dey didn't bother to have much furn'chure, 'cause us in dere only to sleep. Us have homemake bench and 'Georgia Hoss' bed with hay mattress. All us cookin' and eatin' done in de kitchen de big house. Us have plenty to eat, too. De smokehouse allus full white 'taters and cracklin's hangin' on de wall. Us git dem mos' any time us want, jes' so long us didn't waste nothin'. Dey have big jar with buttermilk and 'low us drink all us want.  "Old lady 'Liza , she have three women to spin when she git ready make de clothes for everybody. Dey spin and weave and make all us clothes. Us all wear shirt tail till us 'bout twelve or fourteen, boys and gals, too. You couldn't tell us apart.  "Us chillen start to work soon's us could toddle. First us gather firewood. Iffen it freezin' or hot us have to go to toughen us up. When us git li'l bigger us tend de cattle and feed hosses and hawgs. By time us good sprouts us pickin' cotton and pullin' cane. Us ain't never idle. Sometime us git far out in de field and lay down in de corn row and nap. But, Lawdy, iffen dey cotch you, dey sho' wore you out! Sunday de onliest rest day and den de white folks 'low us play. "Massa never whup Uncle Charley , 'cause he good nigger and work hard. It make missy mad and one time when massa gone she go down in de field. Uncle Charley hoein' corn jes' like massa done told him, jes' singin' and happy. Old missy she say. 'Nigger, I's sho gwineter whup you.' He say, 'What for you whup me, I doin' every bit what old massa done tell me.' But missy think he gittin' it too good, 'cause he ain't never been whupped. She clumb over de fence and start down de row with de cowhide. Uncle Charley , he ain't even raise he voice, but he cut de las' weed outen dat corn and commence to wave he hoe in de air, and he say, 'Missy, I ain't 'vise you come any step closeter.' Dat sho' make her mad but she 'fraid to do nothin'.  "One time she have 'nother nigger name Charlie . Massa go on de trip and she tell dis Charley iffen he ain't finish grindin' all de cornmeal by Monday she gwineter give him a thousand lashes. He try, but he ain't able make dat much meal, so come Monday he runned off in de bayou. Dat night come de big freeze and he down dere with water up to he knees and when massa come home and go git him, he so froze he couldn't walk. Dey brung him in de kitchen and old missy cuss him out. Soon's he thaw out, he done die right dere on de spot.  "My pore mama! Every wash day old missy give her de beatin'. She couldn't keep de flies from spackin' de clothes overnight. Old missy git up soon in de mornin', 'fore ma have time git dem specks off. She snort and say, 'Renee , I's gwineter teach you how to wash.' Den she beat mama with de cowhide. Look like she cut my mama in two. Many's de time I edges up and tries take some dem licks off my mama. "Slavery, one to 'nother, was purty rough. Every plantation have to answer for itself.  "I used to know lots of songs, but I don't know many now. Spiritual songs, dey comes through visions. Dat's why cullud folks can make dem better dan white folks. I knowed one song what start out  "'De Jews done kill pore Jesus, And bury him in de sepulchur;

De grave wouldn't hold him, Dey place guards all 'round him. But de angels move de stone, De Jews done kill pore Jesus, But de grave it wouldn't hold him.' Dey 'nother song what say  Run, sinner, run, Gawd is a-callin' you. Run, sinner, run. De fire'll overtake you.'

"When I 'bout ten dey sets de ginnin' cotton. Old massa he done make de cotton with de hand crank. It built on a bench like. I gin de cotton by turnin' dat crank. When I gits a lapful I puts it in de tow sack and dey take it to Miss Susan to make de twine with it. I warm and damp de cotton 'fore de fireplace 'fore I start ginnin' it."Dere school for de white chillen in Double Bayou and I used to go meet de chillen comin' home and dey stop longside de way and teach me my ABC. Dey done carry me as far as Baker in de book when old missy find it out and make dem stop. De war comin' on den and us darsn't even pick up a piece of paper. De white folks didn't want us to larn-to read for fear us find out things."Us livin' down by de Welborn's den and I seed den haul de logs out of Pine Island to make dat Welborn house. Old man Hamshire and old man Remington builded dat Welborn house. It 'cross de bayou, left hand side Smith's ferry. Dat house still standin' in parts."One mornin' Eleck and me git up at crack of dawn to milk. All at once come a shock what shake de earth. De big fish jump clean out de bay and turtles and alligators run out dere ponds. Dey plumb ruint Galveston! Us runned in de house and all de dishes and things done jump out de shelf. Dat de first bombardment of Galveston. De sojers put powder under people's houses and blowin' up Galveston."Young massa Shake Stevenson he vol'teer and git kilt somewheres in Virginny. Young massa Tucker Stevenson , he ain't 'lieve in war and he say am never gwine fight. He hid in de woods so de conscrip' men cant find him: Old man LaCour come 'round and say he have orders for find Tucker and bring him in dead or 'live. But 'cause he old massa's friend. he say. 'Why don't you buy de boy's services off?' So old massa take de boat, 'Catrig.' us calls it, and loads it with corn and sich and us pole it down to Galveston. De people need dat food so much, dat load supplies done buy off Massa Tucker from fightin'."After war starts lots of slaves runned off to Cit to de Yankees. All dem in dis part heads for de Rio Grande river. De Mexicans rig up flatboats out in de middle de river, tied to stakes with rope. When de cullud people gits to de rope dey can pull deyself 'cross de rest de way on dem boats. De white folks rid de 'Merican side dat river all de tine, but plenty slaves git through, anyway."I wait on lots of sojers. I have to get smartweed and bile it in salt water to bath dem in. Dat help de rheumatism. Dem sojers have rheumatism so bad for standin' day and night in de water."Us sho' in good health dem days. Iffen a cullud loan weak dey move de muscles in he arms, bleed him and give him plenty bacon and cornbread. and he git so strong he could lift a log. Dey didn't go in for cuttin'like dey do now. Dey git herbs out de woods, blue moss and guanine and calomel. I think people jes' die under pills, now. Old lady Field she make Medicine with snakeroot and larkspur and marshroot and redroot."After war an over Massa Tucker brang de freedom papers and read dem. He say us all an free as Hell. Old man Charley so happy he jes' roll on de floor like a hoss and kick he heals. De nex' mornin' mama start do somethin' and missy cuss her out. I runned to missy and say, 'Us free as de bird.' She sho' whup me for dat, but no more, 'cause she so mean us all leave. "Dat funny. Old man LaFour , went de he d de patterrollers and so mean he de first to help us niggers after freedom. He loan as he ox team and pay Uncle Charley a dollar de day for work and a dollar every tine my mamma wash for he wife."Old massa and missy split up. She so bad she ain't give him no better. show dan she done as. Old massa gittin' some peaches one day and she come after him with de burry ship. He git on he hoss and say. 'Lis , you's gittin' broad as de beef. You too big for me.' The so and she spit fire. Lightenin' done kill her, she upstairs and de big streak hits her. It knock her under de bed."De first freedom work I done am pullin' up potato Mills et two bits a hunnerd. 'Bout two bits de most us could make in one day. I work two days to buy mama de turkey hen for Christmas. Anything mama want I think she got to have. I's growed 'fore I gits much as four bits a day. I's done earn as much as $1.50 in my time, though."When I's 25 year old I marries Betty Baker but she dead now. De Rev. Patterson he marry us. Us has four chillen livin'. Turah and Rence , dat my gals. and Enrichs and Milton , dat my boys. Milton work in Houston and Enrich help dem Farm. I's a Mason 30 year. De lodge split up now, but it answer.

Dark and agile, Jacob Branch , more familiarly known as Jake , is talkative, and his speech is both colorful and exuberant. Seated on the sloping porch of his home in Double Bayou settlement, the ole negro demonstrated his still active participation in daily farm work, being clad in a faded blue shirt, striped hickory pants, and knee top rubber boots. His almost hairless head, and broad flat face glistens with the sweat of honest toil, while broken nails and scarred hands show him to be of an industrious turn. Jake was around 14 years old when freedom came, and although born on the Van Loos place in Louisiana, spent his boyhood as a slave of Elisha Stevenson of Double Bayou. "I was bought and fetched here to Double Bayou when I was jes' t'ree year' ol'. I and my ha'f-brudder, Eleck , he de baby, was bofe bo'n in Lou'sana on de Van Loos place. I go by de name of Branch , 'cause my daddy name' Branch , and he belong to de Branches , and Eleck he go by Van Loos . My mama was name' Renee ." "When dey split up us fam'ly dey buy my mama and de two chillen. I ain' neber see my daddy no mo' and don' 'member him at all." "Ol' Elisha Stevenson he was us new marster. He was a great one for to raise pigs. He sell sometime 500 hawgs at one time. He tek he dogs and drive dem hawgs 'cross de Neches Riber all by hisse'f to sell dem. Dat's how he git de money to buy he niggers, sellin' hawgs and cowhides."  "De ol' marster was sho' a good ol' man but de ol' mistus she was a tornado. Her name was Mis' Liza . She could be turrible mean. But I kin reckilleck sometime how she tek her ol' morrel, dat was a sorter sack mek for to carry t'ings in. She tek dat morrel and go out somewhere and when she come back she bring plenty joints of sugar cane. Den she tek a knife and sit down on de gallery and peel de cane and give a joint to ebery one de li'l chillen " "De w'ite folks 'low all de cullud folks to have a whole week hol'day at Chris'mus time. Dey didn' beleebe in no presents like toys or t'ings but Sandy Claus allus come down in de cabins and bring popcorn balls and t'ings like dat. De w'ite folks neber give no toys but dey give plenty to eat at Chris'mus." "My mama she wuk up in de big house doin' de cookin' and de washin'. De ol' marster he go and buy a cullud man name' Uncle Charley Fenner . He was a good ol' cullud man. He brung him down to de quarters house and he say, 'Renee , here yo' husban', and den he turn to Uncle Charley and he say, 'Charley , dis is yo' woman.' Den dey was consider marry. Dat de way dey marry in dem day by de marster's word. Dat Uncle Charley he was a good step-father to us li'l nigger chillen. "Dey didn' have a big plantation, but dey did raise plenty of food. Dey have a ol' cullud man name' Nelson Carter , and a w'ite plower name' Lem Leeper . Den us chillen he'p Uncle Charley in de fiel'. Iffen dey git rush to git de crop in or sumpin' like dat dey go hire some others to he'p us. De ol' marster cultivate' 'bout 12 or 15 acre of lan'." "De w'ite folks house was a good house wid a big brick chimney. Us quarters house was a good snug house wid a flue and oven. Dey didn' bodder to have much furn'chure in de slave house 'cause us warn't in dem much, on'y to sleep. Dey have ho-mek bench' and chair' and Geo'gia hoss bed wid hay mattress. All de cookin' and eatin' was done in de kitchen of de big house. Dey allus give de cullud folks plenty to eat. Dey give same's dey do to de w'ite folks 'cep'n maybe w'en dey have big chicken dinner or sump'n like dat. Den dey sort out all de chicken neck and feet and head for de cullud folks. Us good time was when dey go huntin' down de bayou. De ol' marster and de boys, and Uncle Charley dey tek de big wagon and go off and stay all day and night. Dey shoot brant and duck. Sometimes dey have de whole wagon bed full when dey come in and den do us eat?"  "De smokehouse was allus full of sweet 'taters and w'ite 'taters and cracklin's hangin' up 'roun' on de wall. Us li'l chillen would go to de smokehouse mos' any time us want to and git all de cracklin's or sweet 'taters us want. De w'ite folks didn' care jes' long as us didn' was' (waste) nuthin' and us chillen could allus eat so us neber boddered wid was'in nuthin'. Dey like for us to eat all de time us want 'cause dat mek us fat and healthy. Dey have big earth jar wid buttermilk and dey 'low us to drink all de buttermilk us want, Dey ain' neber give us much butter, though." "Ol' lady Stevenson she have t'ree women to spin up in de big house, when she git ready for to mek de clo's for eb'rybudy. Dey was a ol' lady name' Miss Susan who could dye and wove de twine for to mek de clo's. Mos' de weavin' of de clo'f was did by a w'ite gal call' Miss Lizzie Stevenson . She was de wife of Uriah Stevenson , de ol' marster's nephew, but he done gone to de war and she ain' have no place to stay."  "Dey start us chillen to wuk as soon's us could toddle good. De fus' task was to gadder firewood. Iffen us was too li'l to carry mo' dan t'ree or fo' (four) stick' at a time, dat what us hafter do. Iffen it was freezin' or hot us hafter gadder dat wood 'cause dat boun' to toughen us up. Den when us git li'l bigger dey kep' us to ten' de cattle, and feed de hosses and hawgs. By de time us good sprouts dey have us pickin' cotton, and pullin' co'n and cane. Dey ain' neber idle. Neber 'low us to res' 'cep'n' sometimes us git a long distance out in de fiel' and lay down in a co'n row and ketch a nap. But Lawdy, iffen dey ketch you at dat dey sho' wo' you out. Sunday was do on'ies res' day, and den de w'ite folks 'low us all play togedder. De w'ite boys was allus good to me and Eleck , but de ol' mistus wan' sho'. "I neber git whip by de w'ite folks but twict. Dat for forgittin' to min' de birds off de co'n and for fightin'. De ol' marster do de whippin' but he ain' want to. He say 'Ain' no use to whip dat chile for dat. He jes' like all de chillen. Dey done forgit sometime'. But de ol' mistus she insis' and so he hafter whip me when he don' want to." "When de ol' marster buy Uncle Charles he been tol' dat de wukkin'es' (workingest) nigger he could buy. But he wuk bes' iffen you jes' tell him what to do and don' try beat him or nuthin' like dat. De ol' marster t'ink lots of dat nigger 'cause he sho' would wuk he head off. It mek de ol' lady, de mistus I mean, it mek her so mad 'cause de boss man didn' want dat nigger whip dat she couldn' stan' it. One time de marster done gone down de bayou and she go out in de fiel'. Uncle Charley he jes' a-hoein' co'n jes' like de ol' marster done tol' him to jes' singing' and happy. Ol' mistus she lean on de fence and she say, 'Nigger, I's sho' gwineter whip you.' And he say, 'Whaffo' you whip me? I doin' eb'ry bit what de ol' marster tell me to.' But she t'ink he gittin' it too good 'cause he ain' neber been whip. So she clumb over de fence and start down de co'n row wid de cowhide. But Uncle Charley he ain' eben raise he voice but he cut de las' weed outen de co'n and he commence to wave dat hoe 'roun' in de air and he say, 'Mistus, I ain' advise you come any step closter.' Dat sho' mek her mad but she 'fraid to do nuthin'." "One time deys anudder ol' man name' Charlie what was hire' out to wuk for her. She wait 'till de ol' marster go on anudder trip. Den she tell dis Charley iffen he ain' finish grindin' all de co'n meal up by dat Monday she gwineter have him git 1000 lashes. He try but he ain' able to mek dat much meal and so come Monday he runned off in de bayou. Dat night come a big freeze and he done down dere wid water up to he knees. When dey go out to find him when de marster come home, he was so froze he couldn' walk. De ol' marster come git de wagon for to bring him back home. Dey brung him in de kitchen and de ol' mistus cuss him out. When he commence to thaw de water done run out him clear 'cross de kitchen flo' and soon's he thaw' out he done die right dere on de spot."

 "My po' mama. Eb'ry washday de ol' mistus give her a beatin'. She couldn' keep de flies from speckin' de clo's overnight. Ol' mistus git up soon in de mawnin', befo' mama have time git de specks off. Den she snort and say, 'Renee , soon's you git breakfast and wash dem dishes I's gwineter teach you how to wash.' Den she beat her wid a cowhide. Look like she gwineter cut my po' mama in two. Many's de time I edge up and try to tek some dem licks off my mama.  "De hist'ry of slav'ry one to anudder was purty ruff. Eb'ry plantation hafter answer for itse'f. Mos' farms was so scatter out dey can't git from one to anudder and hafter live by deyse'fs. Dey have chu'ch at Double Bayou. Ol' Preacher Dowden he preach' eb'ry Sunday. He preach' 'gainst slav'ry and slave holders. De w'ite folks go to chu'ch and say, 'Dat was sho' a good sermon you preach, Brudder Dowden , all but one part.' Dey didn' 'low my mama to go to chu'ch 'cause she hafter do all de cleanin' up and de Sunday cookin'. Dey let us two boys go wid de w'ite boys and us sit in de back of de chu'ch buildin'. Us better sit quiet too, or do us ketch it when dey git us home? Dat was a Mef'dis' chu'ch. Dey have benches run clear 'cross de flo'. I's been a Mef'dis' all my life though dey didn' jine us to de chu'ch 'till after freedom. All chu'ches is alike. Us all worshipin' de Lawd. De on'ies' t'ing is de difference in rules and regulations. God couldn' have all de chu'ches alike. Us Mef'dis'es would feel bad in some other chu'ch. Dey throw us off."  "I uster knowed lots of spiritual songs but I can't reckileck dem now. Spiritual songs dey come through visions. Dat's why de cullud folks kin mek dem and sing dem better dan de w'ite folks. I knowed one song what start out: 'De Jews done kill po' Jesus, And bury him in de sepulcher. De grave would not hol' him Dey place guards all 'roun' him But de angels move de stone. De Jews done kill po' Jesus But de grave it would not hol' him.'  Den dey was anudder song what say:  'Run sinner, run, Run, sinner, run, God is a-callin' you

Run, sinner, run The fire will overtake you.'"  "Bout de time de war start dey put Eleck and me to de big task. Dey count seben potato rows each day as a task. Dat mek fo'teen rows 'tween us. Eleck he was small and slow so I hafter finish mine and den go he'p him wid his atter us eat us dinner. Dat de on'ies' way us eber have any time to play. Atter us finish de fo'teen rows of co'n us hafter tote water from de bayou to water de rows." "When I 'bout ten dey set me to ginnin' cotton. De ol' marster he done mek de cotton gin wid a han' crank. It buil' on a bench like.  I gin de cotton by tu'nin' de crank. When I git a lap full den I put it in a tow sack and dey tek it up to Miss Susan to mek de twine wid it. I warm and damp de cotton befo' de fireplace befo' I start ginnin' it." "Dey have a school for de w'ite chillen in Double Bayou and I uster go to meet de chillen when dey comin' from school. Dey would stop 'longside de way and tek dey school books and teach me my ABC. Dey done carry me as far as Baker in de book when de ol' missus foun' it out and she mek dem stop. De war was a-comin' on den and us daresent even pick up a paper to read. When I foun' out 'bout de war I git so scare I done forgit all de chillen had already learned me." "Us was livin' down by de Welborn's at Double Bayou. I was big 'nuff to see dem haul de logs out of Pine Island to mek dat Welborn house. Ol' man Hamshire and ol' man Remington was de ones what buil' de Welborn house. It was 'cross de Bayou on de lef' han' side of Smith's ferry. Dat house is still standin' in parts. It was a big double house but dey done split it now, dey took part over on Eas' Bay, and de other part still jes' where dey buil' it." "One time Eleck and me us git up at de crack of dawn for to milk de cows. All at once dey came a shock what shake de earth. De big fish dey jump clean out de bay, and dey's so big dey can't git back in. Tuttles and alligators done run out de pon's. Dey hab plumb ruint Galveston. Us runned in de house and all de dishes and t'ings done jump out de shelf. Dat was de fus' bombardment of Galveston. De sojers had put powder under de people's houses and was a-blowin' up Galveston." "Young marster Shake Stevenson he volunteer and go to de army. He went 'crost country and done git kilt somewhere in Virginny, I dunno where. Young marster Tucker Stevenson he ain' beleebe in de war and he say he ain' neber gwineter fight. He go out in de woods and hide so de conscrip' men ain' able to fin' him. Even he own daddy he go out dere try talk to him and he tell him, 'Go 'way befo' I blow yo' d-- head off. I ain' gwineter go to no war dat I ain' beleebe in.' Ol' man LaCour , dat de conscripter come 'roun' and say he have orders to fin' Tucker and bring him in, 'Dead or Alive.' But 'cause he frien's wid de ol' marster he say, 'Why you ain' buy de boy's services off?' So ol' marster tek de boat, 'cat-rig' us calls it, and load it down wid co'n and sich and us pole it down to Galveston. De people need de food so much dat, dat load of supplies done buy off Mister Rucker from fightin'." "Dey was t'ree easy jobs in dem days. De scouts what go out and tek people's cattle for de army, the patterrollers what guard de cullud folks so dey ain' runned off and git in no meaness, and de conscrip men. People was tryin' to scout 'roun' in dem days. De ones dat volunteer was alright but dey was lots what didn' beleebe in no fightin' and de conscripters had a job findin' dem." "Atter de war start lots of de slaves runned off to try to git to de Yankees. All de slaves in dis part de country when dey runned off dey headed for de Rio Grande Riber. Iffen dey could reach de riber and swim ha'f way 'cross dey was free. De Mexicans rig up flatboats out in de middle of de riber tied to stakes wid rope. When de cullud peoples git to de rope dey kin pull deyse'fs 'cross de res' of de way on de boats. De w'ite folks ride de 'Merican side of de riber all de time but lots of de slaves git through anyway. Some de niggers runned and hide out in de woods. Atter freedom dey have lots of trouble wid de wil' niggers what been hidin' in de woods and ain' knowed dey was free yit."  "I wait on lots of de sojers. Us hafter go gadder smartweed and bile it in salt water to bath de sojers in. Dat help de rheumatism. Dem sojers have rheumatism so bad from stan'in' day and night in de water." "Us li'l chillen ain' neber knowed what money was. One time some sojers done pass through and I was gwine out by de big gate when I see de mos' beautiful piece of paper. I ain' knowed what it was but it was a $10.00 bill. I t'ink it so purty dat I runned right quick and give it to my mama and she tek it and put it away. Young marster come 'long 'bout dat time and I start tellin' him 'bout de purty piece of paper I done foun'. He say, 'Go 'long, nigger, quit lyin', but I say, 'Oh, yes, I did fin' dat.' Den I look over and my mama she wavin' her finger at me so I laff and say, 'Sho' I was a-lyin'. I ain' fin' nuthin'.' So he go away. It was Confederacy money, but it was alright den." "Uncle Charley he tuk de money on de quiet down to a ol' w'ite lady name' Mrs. Walter Hyman , who live down on de Bayou. She was my mama's gramma, not her real gramma, but her nuss. She nuss lots of folks. She tek de money for herse'f and she mek us all clo's. I ain'  neber had no pants 'till de year befo' de war. All de li'l boys wo' shu't-tail shu'ts, jes' a slip to de knees. De pants Mrs. Hyman mek was 'bout three quarter pants, and she wove us string suspenders too." "When ol' lady Stevenson see how good us look, den she mek us some pants and suspenders too. She jes' jealous nature'. She look out de winder and iffen us ain' got dem suspender up on de shoulder right she holler out, 'Boy, pull dem 'spenders up si's you look fitten fo' sumpthin'. I jes' t'ink to myse'f. 'Huh, you ain' neber been worry befo' 'bout what us look like,' but den I ain' said nuthin' like dat to her." "Us was sho' in good health in dem days. Iffen a cullud man was kinder weak dey move de muscles in he arm, bleed him at de right time, and give him plenty of bacon and co'n bread, and den he git so strong he could lif' a log. Dey didn' go in for medicine like dey does now, or cuttin'." "Dey sen' us out in de woods for yerbs. Dey mek blumass pills and roll dem in soda, and give quinine and calomel. Dey was a ol' w'ite lady name' Fiel's who could mek jes' two pills and give dem to you and you was cure. I t'ink people jes' die under de pills now. Ol.' lady Fiel's she mek medicine wid snakeroot and larkspur, marshroot and redroot. Tek dem and mek tea for swellin's and t'ings like dat. De doctors now shoot you wid shots."  "I seed a w'ite gal what sit on a needle one time and it break off in her. Ol' man Jackson , he tek de li'l gal and put her 'cross his lap and pull de needle out wid a lodestone. Us neber hear of no operations. Sometime dey lance a boil but dey not cut dey insides out. Dey use poultice and t'ings. Iffen dem poultice' didn' ack, dat jes' 'bout de crop." "Dr. Labadie was one de fus' doctors in dis part of de country. Ol' man Yaney's daughter she have wens on her eye. Dr. Labadie he put her to sleep on de gallery and cut dem off. Dat de fus' operation I eber did hear tell of." "My on'ies' 'speriment wid doctorin' might nigh skeer me to de'f. Dey's jes' my baby brudder, he jes' 'bout 9 year' ol' at de time. Dey's jes' him and me and de li'l w'ite boy goin' through de woods when Eleck he git bit bad by a spread'adder. Dey ain' no doctor, nor no growed pusson anywhere near and I knowed de boy is gwineter die. God jes' muster been in de plan. I gaddered me up a pine knot and sot fire to it. Den I helt de pine knot up clost to de place where de snake' fang' go in, not clost 'nuff to blister, and den pull out de blue blood and de pus wid dat heat. My brudder jes' cry and holler but I knowed I gotter git dat pizen out and me and de w'ite boy jes' helt him down 'till it all out. Den he cry hisse'f to sleep and fall over dere. He ain' even sick from dat bite."  "I 'member anudder man what git snake bit. Dey git him good and drunk, not jes' part drunk. He ack jes' like a snake, ring and fall about and roll on de flo'. He couldn' talk he was so pizen wid de snake. But atter he git sober he ain' had no mo' trouble."  "Atter de war was over Tucker Stevenson he brung up de freedom papers and read dem. He say us all is free as hell. Ol' man Charley so happy he jes' roll on de flo' like a hoss and kick he heels. Dat was de night befo'. De nex' mornin' my mama start to do sumpin' and de ol' mistus shout at her and cuss her out. I runned to her and grab' her skirts and look up her face and say, 'Mistus, I's free as a lark.' She sho' did whip me for dat, but dat de las' time 'cause she so mean us jes' pack up and leave." "Dat was funny. De ol' man LaFour , what had been de head of de patterrollers and been so mean and whippin' eb'rybody, he was de fus' to he'p de niggers atter freedom. He come down and loan us his ox team, and give my stepfather one dollar a day for his wuk, one ha'f de crops of some kinds, and one dollar for eb'ry day my mama wash for his wife."  "Soon atter freedom de ol' marster and mistus dey done bus' up. She so bad she ain' give dem no better show dan she had give us slaves. De ol' marster had me laffin' and laffin'. He tell me how to git back at her. On de ol' home place he had done plant a peach orchard and de peaches were jes' good and ripe. Passin' by dat way one day atter he and de ol' lady done sep'rate he see dem peaches and git hongry for peaches. Now he was a big fat feller but he git down off he hoss and git through the fence to git him some peaches. De ol' lady she see him and here she come a-squallin'. He try to git back over de fence but he too fat and she ketch up wid him. She sho' spit fire. She have de buggy whip and she wear him out goin' over de fence. He ain' even touch her but jes' laff all de time. Atter he git on de hoss and fell like he mo' safer, he tell her plenty though. He tell her, 'Liz , you's gettin' as broad as a beef. 'You sho' gettin' too big for me,' and den she so mad she did spit fire." "Lightenin' done kill ol' lady Stevenson . She was upstairs a-sewin' and a big streak come and hit her. Dey find her where she been knock' under de bed. She wasn't even burn', jes' dead. She leave her house to Tucker when she die. Dey was some good owners back in slav'ry times but some was bad, but den dey was some good niggers and some bad ones, too."  "Cedar Bayou was de neares' de Klu Kluxers ever did git to us. Dey didn' ride down 'roun' us place at all. Us neber did have no trouble wid no w'ite folks." "De fus' wuk I git in freedom was pullin' up de potato hills at two bits a hunnerd. 'Bout two bits was de mos' us could mek in one day. I 'member one time I wuk fo' days to buy my mama a tukkey hen for Chris'mus. Anyt'ing my mama want I t'ink she jes' gotter have. I allus try git here whatever she want. I was a growed up man befo' I git as much as fo' bits a day. I's done earn as much as $1.50 in my day, though."  "I marry at 25 year' ol', up de prairie. Us was marry in de chu'ch but dey didn' mek no fuss. De Reverent Patterson he marry us. My wife' name' Betty Baker , but she dead now. Us have four chillen, livin', and one dead. Turah and Renee , dey's my gals, and Enrichs and Milton de boys. Milton is a walkin' delegate (foreman) in Houston, and Enrichs he live in dat li'l house on de place over dere and he'p me farm. My las' wife, Betey , she and me quit. Turah she keep house for me."  "I belong to de letter G lodge, dat de Masons. I serve as Chaplain of de lodge at times, and have been a member for over 30 years. De lodge here was mek up befo' I jine, and dey calls it number 60 lodge. It kinder split up now but it answer." "Dis lump on my head? Oh, I's jes' out milkin' de cow and she go to hook de caff. I jump up to grab her and hit my head on a rafter. It mek jes' a li'l knot but it kep' growin' and growin' 'till it's right sizable now. I dunno what mek it stay like dat." "Dey's lots of stories dey tell in slav'ry time but I done forgit mos' of dem. Dey was one though dat I does 'member: De Rabbit was in de bucket down in de well one time and he ain' able to git up. De 'Coon come 'long and look down and see de water and he git thirsty. He say, 'Brudder Rabbit, dat water sho' does look good.' And Brudder Rabbit say, 'Yes, it sho' is good.' Den Brudder 'Coon say, 'I sho' would like to have some dat water.' And Brudder Rabbit say, 'Why don' you jump in de other bucket and come down and git some?' So 'Coon say, 'Dat sho' is a good ideer, Brudder Rabbit.' So he jump in de other bucket and soon's he do dat, he so much heavier dan de rabbit dat he go down in de well and Brudder Rabbit come up to de top and jump out de bucket and runned away. As he passin' him a-comin' up, Brudder Rabbit say, 'Dat's de way de worl' goin', Brudder 'Coon, one's a-goin' up, and one's a-goin' down.'"  "Dat's de way I feels too."