Nelsen Taylor Denson

Nelson Taylor Densen was brought with his parents to Texas in 1854 by their owner Mr. Jim Densen , he saw the reaction of Texas from the Mexican War and served as body guard for his Master during the Civil War. His story follows:

I was born near Hamburg, Arkansas, in Ashley County, on the twenty second day of December, eighteen hundred and forty seven. I will be ninety years old this coming December. My mother was a Virginian, my father a Kentuckian. I was one of eight chillun, only four cum ter Texas with our parents. With their owner Mr. Jim Densen they settled about ten miles from Marlin in Falls County, Texas. We stayed with this owner Mr. Densen until he became involved in debt and sold us ter Mr. Felix Grundy whose body-guard I was during the Civil War. He kept us until freedom was declared and part of us stayed with him and part worked fer the near-by neighbors after freedom. I kin remember hearin' my parents tell of their life as slaves in their home state, and many incidents of their lives, they lived the average life of the plantation slaves, they were taught to read and write, hence my being able to be a minister of the Gospel. My first clear memory is playing as a child on the banks of the river near whar I lived in Arkansas, and the work on the plantation, they raised little patches of cotton and grain, and lots of strawberries, apples, dewberries and blackberries, as well as other fruit and vegetables. Also cowpeas which they fed to the stock. The timber made it a good place for cattle and hogs for at that time they run out in the woods free, and we did not have to buy our wood. The old Master had an easy livin' but the folks everywhar was a cumin ter Texas, the land was very clean an they was bringin' in settlers and colonizing the new state, so our Master decided to throw in his fortunes with it too  Dis was right after the war with Mexico and dey was famblie dat would get together and all cum in the same crowd, in order to help protect each other against the Indians and wild animals like bears and some panther's. Dey cum in de spring an' if de rivers would be up den dey would sometimes have ter camp an' wait until hit run down 'specially if dey has ter ford hit. Some rivers if dey was small an' had rock beds dey forded an if dey was big like de Red River dey crossed in er ferryboat. Sometimes dey had ter swim de horses an make several trips ter git dey things across, an den dey had de cattle ter git across too, an dey mos always swim de river's if dey not too big. W'en dey make de camp de wagons was set in a circle an de camp fire in de center, dis was ter have a place ter keep a breaswork, in a way as protection from Indians, and de wild animals, de wolves was de worst ter smell de cookin an cum ter de camp. Sometime de camp guards would see two big eyes er lookin' out at dem from de trees an brush an' hit would be a wolf or bear, dey shoot de gun off an dat skeer dem away. Sometimes hit not an animal but an Indian an den dey goes an makes de peace sign and dey sit down an has a pow-wow wid dem, pretty soon de Master get up an cum an git some beans er some bright dress goods er beads er maybe little gunpowder, fer dey had learned ter shoot by den, an trade wid dem fer moccasens er leather breeches somethin dat dey make.  De East, Texas Indians was called de Timber Indians, but dey was known mostly as de Cherekee's an de Alabama Tribes, de settlers crowed de Indians out an lots of dem had gone furder west, dey had about dis time given dem a Reservation in Polk County, of about a thousand acres of land. Some of dem are still dar to dis day. De Plains Indians, among dem de Comanche, get so bold dat dey made raids in Texas, an de Texas Rangers was 'bout all dey was ter keep dem back, untill finally de Government built forts ter station de soljers an de Rangers ter live an be ready ter go after dem if dey made a raid, or watch fer dem, dey was not friendly like de Cherekees an de Alabama Tribes.
 

W'en we cum ter Texas in 1854, dey had jes started de Reservation in Polk County. I understan' dat in 1928 de white people helped dem ter buy more land an now dey has 'bout four thousand acres, dey still make de bows an arrows, baskets, mats, rugs, flutes, spoons an other things. Dis dey sell ter de white folks an dey works for de white people too. I have learned too dat de Government had 'nuther Reservation at Ft. Belknap in Young County, an one on de Clear Fork ob de Brazos 'bout sixty miles from dis one, but hit did'nt work out bery well so dey moved dem ter de Indian territory dat we call Oklahoma now. I has some dates of things dat happened, I has kept all dose years an one is 'bout Cynthia Ann Parker , how she was captured at Parkers Fort on May de nineteenth 1836, near de town of Groesbeck, Texas. Five Americans was killed an' four was taken prisoner's. Of de twenty from de fort dat escaped dey was six days in de wilderness without food, ceptin' what dey find in de woods. A Mrs. Kellog one of de prisoners was wid de Indians six months, Mrs. Plummer over a year an' her son 'bout six years, Cynthia Ann Parker twenty four years an her little brother if living is still wid dem at de time dis was written in 1878, in a Directory of Texas, Published at Austin. Dis was in May befo' Santa Anna was placed on de Texas war schooner ter be sent ter Vera Cruz. A Company of volunteers dat had jes arrived at Velasco forcibly took him an brought him on shore. Dey gib him ter Gen Paaten of de army an dey takes him up de river ter a Dr. Phelps house whar dey kept him until a company of Bucheye Rangers cum an helped ter sneak him away ter de Mississippi river whar dey took de ship ter Washington an den President Jackson sent him ter Vera Cruz, Mexico.

Yer ask me ter tell yer things dat happened in de early days dat we talked 'bout den, dis was w'en we first cum ter Texas, an dey not talkin' den 'bout de slavery question so much as de Mexican an de Indians, but dey did have some trouble wid de Mexicans befo' de Civil War 'bout de slaves, de Mexicans would try ter git dem ter run away an stay across de border wid dem an some ob dem did, however de nigger mos' afraid ob de Mexicans an so dey 'fraid ter do dis much.
 Dar was one Mexican name Jaun Cortena an his band dat robbed an stole from de Texas people until finally Gen Robert E. Lee of de United States Army run him back across de border. I hear dem talkin' bout dis in de war w'en Gen Lee was in command of de Confederate army. Dar is one more date dat I would like ter tell yer 'bout dat dey talk 'bout w'en we cum ter Texas, an dat was 'bout de Rangers under Gen. George Erath havin' a fight wid de Indians in Robertson County dat not far from whar we lived an how dey killed Frank Childress and Davie Clarke , dis was de folks dat de town of Childress was named fer an de Clarkes ar one ob de oldest famblies in Marlin.

Den I could tell yer 'bout how dey talk 'bout de house of Mr. Morgan six miles above de falls ob de Brazos being attacked by dem, an five people killed. An' how Mr. Marlin , (fer whom de town ob Marlin named) on January 10, 1839 de Indians attacked Mr. Marlin' s house, but dey drove de Indians back an den de white people followed under de command of Benjamin Bryant . Den on de twenty first of April dey had another battle between de whites an de Indians on Brushy Creek, in de Marlin country between Waco an Marlin, an some white men by de name of Jacob Burlerson , James Gilleland , Edward Blakie , an John Waters was killed. Dis is 'bout all dat I have kept on de things dat happened near Marlin between de Indians an de white folks. But after dey quit being so much trouble de folks lived peacably an dey was more an' more settlers cumin in. Dey had an iron foundry at Rusk an Jefferson 'bout dis time, an at de penitentiary at Huntsville 'bout dis time dey had a mill dat dey make cotton an woolen goods fer de soljers, an de folks in Texas had ter wear some of de goods which helped dem ter have something widout havin ter spin de thread an weave de cloth like dey has ter do most places.
 

In de spring de bluebonnets an de Indian blanket flowers was in bloom w'en we cum ter Texas an we never saw dem befo' dey looked like beds of red an blue blankets an dey was everywhar in April an May. I kin remember how we liked ter fish an de sweet smell ob de pine trees w'en dey build de campfire out ob de brush, an how we boys hunted fer de wild haw, de red haw, de pecans an de walnuts dat grew in de woods ob East Texas as we cum thro' hit. Hit was all wonderful an beautiful ter us, jes ignorant little niggers, an if so ter us what must it have been ter de white settlers? We did not have de Buffalo in dis part ob de county like dey had further west, an de Indians more plentiful out dar. W'en de white men begun ter kill de buffalo, (dis was de Indians meat dey eat), den dey commence ter fight sure e'nuff, dey do like mos' folks would fight fer dey life, an widout de buffalo dey think dat dey can't live. Our ole Master stopped at Marshall, Texas first an decided dat he wants ter cum further south, so he cums ter Marlin or down near Marlin an lives dar de rest ob his life. De way dey all trabbel den was by wagon, de stage coach, an de boats on de rivers and de bayou's. In de northeast part ob Texas dey freighted dey cotton an grain ter Jefferson an den dey shipped by Cypress Bayou, an across Lake Caddo ter de Red River an from dar up North or maybe down ter New Orleans. In South Texas de shippin was in an out ob de bayou's an de rivers ter de coast, an on de Brazos River Richmon' was de head 'Ceptin' w'en de river was up and den dey ship ter de ole town ob Washington on de Brazos, dey called hit. De steambots made regular trips between Galveston an Houston up Buffalo Bayou  Whar dey was'nt any rivers fer de boats, den dey trabbel by de stage coach an dey was heavy an drawn by six or eight horses, dey jes went eight or ten miles an hour an fresh teams was ready fer dem ter change along de way. Dey had a line down thro Marlin from North, Texas, an we used ter watch hit cum in jes like de train or bus. Texas people was jes begginnin' ter git over de Mexican war w'en we cum ter de state, dey talk 'bout de Alamo an Gen. Sam Houston , Travis , who was killed at de Alamo an Bowie , an de battle ob San-Jacinto, w'en dey celebrated dey freedom from Mexico. De Mexicans had dey own Catholic schools an churches dat was established in de days ob de rule by Mexico an de Missions dat de Spaniards had built W'en dey first discovered Texas.  De Baptist, Methodist an de Presbyrterians all had dey churches an some had started dey schools, but dey had not started de free schools until long time after dat. An' dey git ter know folks from other places at dem fer dey cum an camp two or three weeks. I has preached at dem an we felt dat de Lord was close ter us, w'en dey got religion dey git it ter de better an ter live right in dem days seem like we nearer ter God den we is now.

Well, dis de way dat we livin' in Texas in de year we cum in 1854. Dey talk 'bout sending General Sam Houston ter Washington he voted against slavery up dar, so in 1857 he run fer Governor against Runnels he was beat, dey say, on account ob his vote against slavery, fer Texas was a slave holding state. W'en Runnels was Governor more an more immigrants cum ter Texas, but he was not popular an w'en he an General Houston run again in 1859 fer Governor General Houston beat Runnels . De people of Texas thought dat General Houston would keep Texas from getting into de war, an dat he could make peace wid de Indians an' dat was why he was elected. I kin 'member how he tells dem in his first message dat  if dey dont stan by the union dat de nation be destroyed by war.  An w'en Lincoln was made de President, Houston stilled tried ter keep Texas from gittin in de war, an keep hit in de Union, but dey had a Convention at Austin an voted fer Texas ter secede, dat was de twenty eighth day of January, 1861. Den w'en he refused ter take de oath ter de Confederacy dey removes him from de Governer's cheer an he went back ter his home at Huntsville, an never does take hit, but his son Sam went an fought fer de rebels. I was fourteen years old w'en Texas seceded, an w'en dey went ter de war my Master Mr. Felix Grundy went ter fight de Yankees, He was in General Hardemans Brigade an was in two or three battles den he cums back ter Texas on a fourlough an w'en dat is out an he goes back I goes with him as his body guard. De first firing he was in New Mexico, den he was transferred ter Louisiana an I was wid him.
 "I was sixteen years old by dat time an I kin remember de way hit all was at de battle ob Mansfield, April 9, 1863. We was camped on de Sabine rivers, on de Texas side, an de Yankees on de other side up a little ways, I kin remember de night befo' how de camp fires looked, hit was a quiet night an de whipperwills er callin' in de weeds, we was expectin de attack an ter keep us cheerfull we sing,  Tenting Ter Night on de Old Camp Groun',  an' den we sing, Just befo' de battle, Mother, I am thinking most of you, While upon de fiel' we're watchin' wid de enemy in view. Comrades brave are roun' me lying, Filled wid thoughts of home an' God, For well dey know dat on de morrow, Some will sleep beneath de sod.

 We could see across de river de Yankees, an could hear dem, de night so still. In de hush befo' de battle every man was thinking of his mother, wife and fambly. W'en de bugle sounded taps, every head was bowed in prayer, I kin best describe de attack wid de last verse of song I has jes told yer dey sing. Hark, I hear de bugles soundin', 'Tis de signal fer de fight, Now, may God protect you, Mother, As he ever does de right, Hear de "Battle Cry of Freedom.  How hit swells upon de air, Oh, Yes w'ell rally roun' de standard, Or we'll perish nobly there.

De Yankees sung de Battle Cry of Freedom, as dey charged on us an we could hear de band er playin' hit as dey cum, but hit jes made our boys fight de hardest, den we sing dis song,  Tramp, Tramp, Tramp, de boys are marchin'. Cheer up comrades dey will cum, And beneath de starry flag, We shall breathe de air again, In de freedom of our own beloved home.  Dey cum on an' on, an dey fights. Lord how dey fight's! I is a stayin' close ter my Master. I is jes as wild as any fer our boys ter win, yer can hear de clash of de bayonet w'en dey git gray uniforms as dey stood dey groun' an dey went down befo' dey would retreat,  In de battle front dey stood, W'en de fiercest charges was made, An' dey swept us off a hundred men an more, But befo' we reached dey lines, Dey was beaten back dismayed, An' we heard de cry of victory o'er an O'er.  De rebels, our boys in de grey, win's an captures 'bout er thousan' Yankees, after dis de Yankees was mos' of dem taken ter help General Grand at Richmon' an General Sherman on his march ter de sea.  De Captain of de company we was in at de battle of Pleasant Hill (near Mansfield), was John Dick Morris , dis company was organized near Marlin, Texas, was called Company B. General J. G. Walker was de District Division Commander, dey was made up in dis company from de town of Marlin an de country, among dem Captain Carter of Cameron was wounded in de battle we was in.   At Yellow Bayou de commanding officer of de brigade we was in was General Banks . Tom Green was killed at Blairs Landin' on Red River an General Hardeman took Tom Green's place.

  Bout de last of de war de Yankees commenced ter use de nigger's dat had run away ter dey lines fer soljers. I don't know much 'bout dat, but I does know dat de slaves dat was left at home ter look after de wimmen an chillun dat mos of dem stayed an' kept de work on de place in de crops up an helped ter take keer of de ole men an de wimmen an chillun, dat dey was a whole lot more dat helped ter dis day dey was dat run away ter de Yankees.  De most of de slaves was happy on de plantations, an dey looked on de war like dis, dat de white man was er fightin' fer his principles, at least de ones dat understood did. I has seen so much in my long life dat I feels dat God is more an more de Great Ruler, an dat hit all works out fer de best. 

I knows dat de old order has changed. Men now must be rich, it seems ter be powerful, once hit was not so. Once men held themselves more dearly dan dey held dey possessions. In de days of Ante-Bellum de attitude was fine an bright an glorious, folks believed in de virtues of truth, chastity, an' chivalry. Dey seem new ter be old fashioned words, whar is de chivalry dat dey lived in de days which yer is writin' about? Does dey help ter protect de wimmen like dey did in de days of old? No, dey worl' of finance will take away er womans home jes de same as er man's. Whar is de demand fer virtue? In de ole days de ole time southern gentlemen demands dat his wife be virtues er he would not marry her, does dey de dis now? No, sad ter say hit looks as if de loose wimmen are de ones dat is preferred.  Whar would dey grandmothers say ter dem smokin? Yes, de ole fashion way is out ob date, de curtain of smoke swept away, hit seems, de beauty of de past, de sound of de spinning wheel was lost in de machinery of a later day, jes as de stately minuet was lost in de jass dances of dese day's.  I hopes dat in de great windup dat in de words of de ole song hit will be dat  His truth will go Marchin' on. Mine eyes have seen de glory of de cumin' of de Lord, He is tramplin' out de vintage whar de grapes of wrath are stored, He Hath loosed de fateful lightnin' of His terrible swift sword, His truth is marchin' on.

Interviews with Nelson Taylor Densen , Born in Arkansas 1847; brought to Texas in 1845 as given in previous interview. Yer wants me ter tell yer some more 'bout de country w'en hit was in de early days. In dem days de country was so different in de way hit even looked an' de way we had ter be on de way ter get here, dat I hardly knows how ter begin  In my other interview, I did not tell yer 'bout how we cross de Red River an' de Red River Raft, w'en we cum's from Arkansas, hit is a long story, but I will try ter tell yer 'bout hit, fer in dese days we don' see dem any more, dey keeps de rivers clear of dis kind of growth.  W'en we reach de river, we hire a big boat wid de place on hit fer our stock an' household things, dis was de bigges ferry boat on de river. We floats down de river in hit, sometime we had ter tie hit up at night an' wait fer daylight, unless hit was a moonlight night, we never travel by boat at night time. We floats down de river until we could git thru de raft. In de early days de Red River was so closed up by dis timber raft dat de big ships could not pass thru hit. Dis was called de Big Raft. De big boats an' ships dat go up de river at all, has ter use de bayou's an' de creeks ter go aroun' de raft. Our party got a Caddo Indian ter guide us. Hit took us many days ter make de crossin' cose we could not trabbel at night; we jes tied de boat ter a tree an' went ter sleep an' kept a watchman up thro' de night. If yer can imagine yerself in a big swamp, growed up wid trees an' filled wid driftwood dat is wedged in close between de trees an' de water not having any current an' standin still, yer can have an idea how hit looked.  De soil be accumalated in de raft an' broom straws, willows, an' udder small brush would be growin out of dis rich dirt dat cover de legs, an' hit looked like old field dat was let go ter waste an' not cultivated. Den I must not forget ter tell yer 'bout de bee trees we found on de raft, dey was covered wid bees an' honey, an' de folks had honey all de time dey was on de raft. Yer ask how did dis raft git ter be so big? Dis Red River Raft dey claim was centuries old an' dat de waters of de Missiippi backed up w'en de Red River was low, an' made still water at hits mouth. De driftwood floatin' down de river, was stopped in de still waters, an' de drift of all kinds dat cum down de Missiippii in de floods made dis mass of trees an' dirt, an' formed de raft, an' w'en de Missippi would fall ter de level of de Red River, den de mass would jamm, an' de banks of de river havin' heavy timber, de raft grew about a mile a year. As de years pass, de oldest timber would rot an' break away an' float down ter de gulf; but dis was not fast enough ter keep de river clear, so hit jammed de river.  I will tell yer how de government, in 1873, long time after we cum ter Texas, opened up de channel of de Red River. But first, let me tell yer whar we found ourselves w'en we git thro dis raft. We is near Longs' Prairie; an' den we travel three or four days an' cum's ter Natchitoches. We jes' wanders aroun' an finally, we makes our way ter Marshall, in East Texas; stays dar awhile an' den come down between Mart an' Marlin Texas.  Den I kin tell yer why we did not stay at Longs' Prairie, fer hit was rich land an' jes a few famblies here. Hit was surrounded by heavy timber but de whole country was full of malaria an' de Master see de folk wid de ague an' shakin' like dey is goin' ter die; so de settlers would not stay at dis place or in dis part of de country. Den w'en dey had de overflow from de river de land would be flooded an' de settlers would leave. 

De story, dat is told us, was dat long time befo' dat time, de government had been workin' on dis effort ter try ter stop de overflow's an' open up de river fer de boats ter travel wid freight an' passenger's. De government had a survey of dis raft in de year 1833, an' hit was found ter be a hundred an' twenty eight miles long. Den dey put Captain Shreve in charge of clearin' de river wid de grapplin' hooks. Dey say dat at first de work was easy. Dey open up de river ter what was den called Coats' Bluff, an' is now what dey call de town of Shreveport; an' hit was named after he did dis work, fer Captain Shreve .  De last thirty miles was almost impossible ter open on account of de timber not bein' rotten an' hit took long time ter finish openin' up de river. Hit was not until de year 1873 dat de river channel was so dey could use hit fer regular steamboats. 

Bout de last of de war de Yankees commenced ter use de nigger's dat had run away ter dey lines fer soljers. I don't know much 'bout dat, but I does know dat de slaves dat was left at home ter look after de wimmen an chillun dat mos of dem stayed an' kept de work on de place in de crops up an helped ter take keer of de ole men an de wimmen an chillun, dat dey was a whole lot more dat helped ter dis day dey was dat run away ter de Yankees. De most of de slaves was happy on de plantations, an dey looked on de war like dis, dat de white man was er fightin' fer his principles, at least de ones dat understood did. I has seen so much in my long life dat I feels dat God is more an more de Great Ruler, an dat hit all works out fer de best. I knows dat de old order has changed. Men now must be rich, it seems ter be powerful, once hit was not so. Once men held themselves more dearly dan dey held dey possessions. In de days of Ante-Bellum de attitude was fine an bright an glorious, folks believed in de virtues of truth, chastity, an' chivalry. Dey seem new ter be old fashioned words, whar is de chivalry dat dey lived in de days which yer is writin' about? Does dey help ter protect de wimmen like dey did in de days of old? No, dey worl' of finance will take away er womans home jes de same as er man's. Whar is de demand fer virtue? In de ole days de ole time southern gentlemen demands dat his wife be virtues er he would not marry her, does dey de dis now? No, sad ter say hit looks as if de loose wimmen are de ones dat is preferred. Whar would dey grandmothers say ter dem smokin? Yes, de ole fashion way is out ob date, de curtain of smoke swept away, hit seems, de beauty of de past, de sound of de spinning wheel was lost in de machinery of a later day, jes as de stately minuet was lost in de jass dances of dese day's. I hopes dat in de great windup dat in de words of de ole song hit will be dat His truth will go Marchin' on. Mine eyes have seen de glory of de cumin' of de Lord, He is tramplin' out de vintage whar de grapes of wrath are stored, He Hath loosed de fateful lightnin' of His terrible swift sword, His truth is marchin' on. (12/4/37 )

Interviews with Nelson Taylor Densen, Born in Arkansas 1847; brought to Texas in 1845 as given in previous interview. Yer wants me ter tell yer some more 'bout de country w'en hit was in de early days. In dem days de country was so different in de way hit even looked an' de way we had ter be on de way ter get here, dat I hardly knows how ter begin "W'en de channel was open, de river fell about fifteen feet, an' dey has ter keep de snagboats workin' all de time ter keep hit from formin' nuther raft, an' ter dis day, I suspect dat dey keeps de work up some. However de land bein' cleared of de timber, dey may have ter work on de banks ter keep dem from washin' away like dey does in de Missippi, whar dey had de big government steamboats all de time a workin' an' dey used ter put some kind of mats ter keep de banks from givin' away. Yer wants ter know effn' I can tell yer 'bout de stories of de first steamboat's down de Missippi? Yes, I has heard de story of de man dat navigated hit. De first one was a Mr. Nicholas J. Roosevelt , dey called him Mr. Roosevalt.  Dis happened in de year 1809 an' 1811. De first trip was made in a flatboat an' hit was built in Pittsburgh. Dey tell de story dat hit was made jes' like a box, wid a bed-room an' dinin' room an' kitchen, an' a room in front fer de crew. Dey had on board a pilot, three hands an' a cook, an' Mr. Roosevelt . Dey stop at night an' tie de boat ter de trees on de banks of de river. An' Mr. Roosevelt an' some of de crew went out in de river in a row boat ter take de depth, an' dey do dis ter see how fast de current is, too. W'en Mr. Roosevelt is satisfied, he goes back an' goes ter see de ship men in de East, an' gits dem interested in buildin' a big ship er steamboat dat will navigate de river. So once more, he was ready ter build another boat ter use on de rivers an' dey sent men ter de forest ter cut de timber fer de ribs, de beams or whatever dey needed, an' dis was sent by boat ter de ship yards. De plank was cut from de logs in de ole fashion saw-pits, an' a ship builder was sent from New York wid his mechanics, an' dey goes ter work ter build a real steamboat. Hit was named de New Orleans, bekase hit was ter make hit's furst trip ter New Orleans. De boat was ready fer hit's first trip, an' Mr. an' Mrs. Roosevelt was de only passengers. De crew was made up of de Captain, de engineer, de pilot, six deckhands, an' four servants. De boat was on hit's way ter New Orleans w'en dey had de earthquake of 1811. Dis changed de river channels an' changed de river's looks fer miles along de earthquakes path. De story was dat at New Madrid de people met de boat an' begged ter be taken wid hit ter escape de earthquake; an' den, at other places, dat dey run from hit thinkin' hit was de cause of de earthquake; an' de ole slaves thought dat hit was some kind of monster de devil sent ter git dem. So dey fell on dey knees an' prayed after dey had run far as dey could git from hit. But w'en de boat was out of de path of de earthquake, an' dey reached Natches an' New Orleans, den de people all met de boat at de wharves an' celebrated hit's arrival wid er big parade an' celebration dat night. I has often thought of dis story of de Mr. Roosevelt of dat time an' I has wondered if he was some of ancestors of our President dat we has now. W'en I was a boy dey talk about dis Mr. Roosevelt w'en he made de trip ter New Orleans, an' he was tryin' ter help ter make use of de river fer shippin', an' den w'en I was a young man dey talk about de Mr. Teddy Roosevelt , of de Rough Rigers, an' now our own Mr. Roosevelt who is tryin' ter fix de Social Security so dat de folks dat does not have much chance in dis worl' will be taken care of, an' tryin' ter see if dey can't work out some way's ter make de country a better place ter live. But de folks of de early days had a whole lot harder life an' a whole lot harder problems ter face ter live. An' de folks today owes hit to de pioneers dat dey is livin' as easy as dey are. W'en I cum ter Texas, dey is talkin' 'bout de war wid Mexico an' General Sam Houston what he had done ter make Texas free, as well as de other Texas heroes. But General Houston after bein' de President of de Republic of Texas twice, an' dey had annexed hit to de United States, den w'en I first cum ter Texas, General Houston was one of de governors, Governor Pease de first year dat we was in Texas, an' de next election was Governor Runnels , an' den General Sam Houston .
 But as General Sam Houston was de governor w'en de Civil War broke out an' dey was so much dat happened, I kept up wid dese things an' have kept dates an' 'members many stories else dat had been de governor dat we all loved an' admired him de most. One of de times dat General Houston was elected de President of Texas was on de fifth day of September 1836, dat was w'en hit was er Republic. An' de day dat he was inagurated governor was on de twenty-first day of December 1859; an' he was de one dat had to take de folks' criticism fer not takin' de oath fer secession from de Union. Fer most of de Texas people was fer secession an' some of dem had de plantations, an' had started ter raisin' cotton on de river bottom land, an' had brung de slaves from de ole states wid dem ter Texas, jes as my own master brought my folks wid him.
 

Yer wants me ter tell yer some of de stories about General Houston w'en he was first de President of Texas. Dey tell one 'bout w'en dey dedicated de new capitol of Texas w'en hit was moved ter Houston, Texas an Houston was a new town. Dis new town of Houston was jes a bunch of shacks an' tents, on de bluff at de head of Buffalo Bayou, six miles from Harrisburg, whar de capitol was w'en dey had ter run from Santa Anna's army as well as I kin 'member.
 De crowd wants General Houston ter tell 'bout de Alamo an' de Battle of San Jacinto, but he tells dem dat he would rather some one else do dat. He has been sleepin' in er tavern wid five other men on a platform covered wid moss an' a single blanket, de room built of unchinked logs, an' de noise day an' night was like a Methodist Camp meetin' gone shoutin' crazy In de center of de plaza, (all de towns down in dis country has plaza's den), dey was a flagpole dat had de Lone Star of de Republic on hit, an' de State House was decorated wid calico fer buntin', an' pine boughs; an' of course dey was a band, maybe a drum or two an' file or fiddlers in de procession too. W'en de barbecue over, an' everybody has had all dey can eat, dey git busy startin' de parade. Can yer imagine dat parade? General Houston was leadin hit, den de members of de government, officers of de army, farmers, merchants gamblers an' on down ter de slaves. Dey was all dar, de ones dat had stood fer General Houston in de army, an' in de fiels, an' in de town', an' de slaves was jes as interested as anybody, fer wuzn't he de bes frien' dey had; an' I forgot de Indians. Dar was de chiefs of de tribes in Texas dat was friendly ter de whites, an' de ones dat General Houston had been de friend of. Dey cums wid de sign of peace, an' in dey slow march ter de beatin of dey drums.
 Directly some one in de crowd wid a banjo start up an' ole fiddle an banjo song, an dey sing, Goin down ter town, I'm a-goin' down ter town, Goin' down ter Houston town, Ter take my terbacker down. At de State House, all dat can git inside, packs de buildin' an den at de exact minute dat de battle of San Jacinto was jes a year old dey all bow in prayer wid de preacher who thanks God fer de victory. Den dey all sing de song of Texas Liberty, W'en de tyrants sword darkened our land, An' our friends was reduced ter a small Spartan Band, W'en de Alamo reeked wid de blood of de brave, An Mexican faith slept in Goliad's grave. Dat was de story dey tell us w'en we was young boys 'bout de first anniversary of San Jacinto. An' w'en I is gittin ter be about grown or old enough ter be interested in de Civil War, den General Houston is our Governor, an' he tries ter keep Texas from seceding. But dey passed hit over him, an' so he 'zined on de sixteenth day of March, 1861, jes little over a year befo' I went wid my Master Mr. Felix Grundy ter de war. W'en dey has de big Secession Convention at Montgomery, Alabama, de people of Texas say Now General Houston will go an' vote wid de South fer secession, but he would not do hit. An' dey tell dis story too, dat w'en de Cabinet meets in Texas, or de convention, an' calls de roll, dey all on Febuary 23, 1861, dey call dem all, an' de biggest part vote fer hit. W'en dey git ter General Houston , dey call 'General Houston ' an' he looks away off over de people's heads, den dey say agin' 'General Houston ', an' still he looks afar off, an' does not reply, an' de third time, de clerk say 'General Sam Houston '! an' he still sits dar an' does not say anything. An' de others have all voted, an' so dey starts ter leave, an' dey pass him by, all but one friend who lays his hand on de General's shoulder an' he tells him he knows dat dis has been hard fer him ter do.
De General say 'I cannot betray my convictions an' my God, Who has said, Thou shalt not shed thy brothers' blood', an' he silently went out of de hall. He hears de rumor dat he is secretely against de Southern folks; so, de first time dat dar is a secession meetin', he goes an' he tells dem, 'I am old; de days are upon me w'en all thoughts of ambition of this world gives place ter thought of de future life; ere I start on de final stage of dis jurney an hits long pilgrimage, I wish ter say dat all my thoughts an' all my hopes are with my country, ter Texas I has given my blood an my heart. If any man here who dares ter say dat I could betray Texas, an de great, altho I fear mistaken cause, which my boy is now servin', let him step forth!" an de story is dat not a man in de crowd challenged his words, but his friends gave their applause wid calls fer a speech, but dis was all he would say an' dis was de last time, so de story goes dat he made a public speech. 

As I have told yer, I will be ninety years old de twenty second of December if I lives dat long, an' dey is so many things I have not told yer, so many things dat has happened in my life, de Civil War was jes one part of dis life, an' dat did not last long. I has kept a record which I has shown yer of every day befo' an after I cum ter Texas, hit starts wid 1852 an closes wid 1878, an' I has lived de years from 1854 ter dis good day right here in Texas  De main battles of de Civil War was fought over in de ole states but de battles wid de Indians, an' de Mexicans ter free Texas from dem was fought right here in Texas, an' I could tell yer many more things effn I think dem over wid de aid of dese notes, but I am afraid dat yer will not find anybody dat won't git tired of so much, an' so I will jes tell yer dis, de war wid de Indians an' de Mexicans means jes as much ter Texas, fer dey freedom, as de war wid de states fer dey rights as dey call hit. W'en I look aroun' an' see de old slaves, an' dey decendents, an' de Mexican livin' peacefully here, an' enjoyin' dey life right along wid de white folks an' how de war's are forgotten, how hit has all worked out dat dey all live peacfully together, an' how de pioneers had ter fight dey way, den dey had ter fight de Indians, an' de Mexicans, an' den each other an' dis las' war whar dey even went across de sea ter fight ter help de folks dat was bein' whipped, all fer what dey call dey principles in de end, but in de beginnin' hit was fer dey existence. I hopes dat I does not live ter see any more wars. I thinks of dee old Texas song dey sung after Santa Anna was captured.

May 6, 1938

Nelsen Denson , 90, was born near Hembirg, Arkansas, a slave of Jim Denson , who sold Nelsen and his family to Felix Grundy . Nelsen's memory is poor, but he managed to recall a few incidents. He now lives in Waco, Texas.
 I'll be ninety years old this December. (1937). I was born in Arkansas, up in Ashley County, and it was the twenty-second day of December in 1847. My mammy was from Virginny and pappy was from old Kentucky, and I was one of they eight chillen. Our owner, Marse Jim Densen , brung us to Texas and settled near Marlin, but got in debt and sold us all to Marse Felix Grundy , and he kep' us till freedom, and most of us worked for him after that.  Marse Jim Densen had a easy livin' in Arkansas, but folks everywhere was comin' to Texas and he 'cides to throw in his fortunes. It wasn't so long after that war with Mexico and folks come in a crowd to 'tect theyselves 'gainst Indians and wild animals. The wolves was the worst to smell cookin' and sneak into camp, but Indians come up and makes the peace sign and has a pow wow with the white folks. Marse git beads or cloth and trade for leather breeches and things.
 I want to tell how we crosses the Red River on de Red River Raft. Back in them days the Red River was near closed up by dis timber raft and de big boats couldn't git up de river at all. We gits a li'l boat, and a Caddo Indian to guide us. Dis Red River raft dey say was centuries old. De driftwood floatin' down de river stops in de still waters and makes a bunch of trees and de dirt 'cumulates, and broomstraws and willows and brush grows out dis rich dirt what cover de driftwood, Dis raft growed 'bout a mile a year and de oldes' timber rots and breaks away, but dis not fast 'nough to keep de river clear. We found bee trees on de raft and had honey.  It was long time after us come to Texas when de gov'ment opens up de channel. Dat am in 1873. 'Fore dat, a survey done been made and dev found de raft am a hundred and twenty-eight miles long. When we was on dat raft it am like a big swamp, with trees and thick brush and de driftwood and logs all wedge up tight 'tween everything.  Fore Texas secedes, Marse Densen done sell us all to Marse Felix Grundy , and he goes to war in General Hardeman's Brigade and is with him for bodyguard. When de battle of Mansfield come I'm sixteen years old. We was camped on the Sebine River, on the Texas side, and the Yanks on the other side a li'l ways. I 'member the night 'fore the battle, how the campfires looked, and a quiet night and the whippoorwills callin' in the weeds. We was 'spectin' a 'tack and sings to keep cheerful. The Yanks sings the 'Battle Cry of Freedom' when they charges us. They come on and on and, Lawd, how they fit! I stays close to Marse Grundy and the rebels wins and takes 'bout a thousand Yanks. Most the slaves was happy, the ones I knowed. They figgers the white men fightin' for some principal, but lots of them didn't care nothin' 'bout bein' free. I s'pose some was with bad white folks, but not round us. We had more to eat and now I'm so old I wouldn't feel bad if I had old marse to look after me 'gain.

Eleanor Wyatt