W'en de war cum, some of de men went to hit an' w'en hit is over de ones dat is livin' cum home. Dey is great rejoicin' among de niggers over dey freedom, for dey thing dey don't have to work any more, an' dey kin sit up like de w'ite man an' boss maybe de w'ite man, but dey soon find out dis is a mistake. De Yankees send a nigger company of soljers to keep down trouble an' dey is stationed over to what dey call Cotton Gin. Dis jes makes de bad times worse an' so de w'ite folks has de Ku-Klux dat rides in de night an' w'en de niggers get to takin' too much liberty wid de w'ite folks chickens an' dey stock an' sometimes dey rob an' steal an' mistreat de w'ite wimmen, den is w'en de Ku-Klux takes dem out an' whips dem or hangs dem to a tree whar dey kin be in sight of de other niggers. So pretty soon de nigger company was sent back up Nawth an' so de trouble finally is over, but dey has lots of trouble for three or four years after freedom. 

I is 'bout or fifteen years old w'en freedom cum, an' so I kin 'member dese things an' how de rebel soljers cum back all worn out from de Civil War an' how de w'ite folks commence all over agin to start dey farmin' an' dey work, dey pay de nigger enough to live on for his work an' if dey does not have de money dey let him have part of de crop an' so de work goes on 'bout de same, only dey is so many dat is broke, de money is hard to git for de first few years.  De blockade on de Texas ports had stopped de shippin' of goods an' supplies from de other states an' so dey still makes dey homespun clothes for long time after de war. W'en dey goes to gittin' do cotton shipped over to Europe agin, den dey commence to have more money an' so dey goes to buyin' dey calico an' de jeans for dey clothes. De wimmen felt dressed up in de calico an' men folk in de jeans pants an' coats. Dey ship de cotton to Houston by way of Galveston to Europe an' den sometimes dey ship from San Antonio to Mexico an' from Mexico to Europe. Dis last was de way hit all went durin' de war.  At first dey was not so much cotton raised, dey had de stock, for dis was a good stock country, de timber made hit fine in de winter an' dey was so much free range den, besides de hogs run out too, an' so dey raise all kinds of stock, cattle, hogs, sheep an' horses. Den dey jes raise little grain for de folks own use, if dey has a milk cow, w'en de grass is killed in de winter dey jes turn her out in de timber  W'en de w'ite folks is thro' wid dey crops, den dey has de big meetin' in de summer time under de old brush arbor. Dey has de singin's w'en dey does not have anything else on a Sundays'. De book dat I 'member hearin' dem talk 'bout was de old "Sacred Harp Song Book," an' dey would meet from de whole community for de all-day-singin', an' stay from de time dey kin git to de place untill de night is cumin' on.  Dey has de leader of de singin' an' he has dem all to line up an' den dey sing de scale of "Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Si, Do." He say "Sister Mary yer kin give de high C," an' she give a screech an' he nod his head, den he say "Sam yer kin give de low Bass in G," an' dey is a growlin' like thunder is cumin', den he has dem to take dey turn singin' de scale, den dey all sing together an' sing de ole time camp-meetin' songs, an' dey all tries to see which kin sing de loudest.  By dis time de house is so full dat dey is standin' up agin' de wall. De song leader beat his stick for de bass voices an' dey is a deep roar like de wind cumin' thro' de trees, den he points to de tenors an' de alto's, dey make dey high an' soft notes wid de trebles a singin' high above dem all. Pretty soon dey drop into a low song an' dey goes to singin'  De dying Cowboy an'  Oh Bury Me Not, On de Lone Prairie an' pretty soon de singin' dies away an' de leader tell dem dey had better go an' see what is in de dinner baskets. De folks all crowd out de door an' dey has sung off all dey bashfulness, now dey is laughin' an' talkin' an' jokin' one another. Dey takes de baskets to de grove an' dey spread de dinner on de groun'. Dey is de fried chicken, bread an' pickles an' preserves, peaches an' cake, dey eats an' jokes one another 'bout which one eats de most an' after awhile de bell in de church begin to ring an' dey goes back to de church, all but de young boys an' gals dat is pairin' off in pardners, dey goes to de branch an' pretend dey is gittin' acquainted wid each other, but dey is sparkin', as niggers say.  W'en de married folks an' de chillun is worn out an' starts home dey sing "Home Sweet Home", den dey goes to dey wagons, an' dey buggies, if dey is any, an' de road is full of dem a wavin' an' startin' on dey way home. De gals an' de boys dat is parin' off is cumin' in couples an' dey is no longer de shrill high voices of de gals or de shyness of de boys.

Nuther thing dey was de fiddler's context. Dis was usually in de winter w'en dey has de dances. Sometimes dey has de fiddlin' contest, den after dis dey dance. W'en de leader say "Go", to de fiddlers, dey all start to fiddlin' at once, dey play dey own tunes, an' each one of dem pat his foot to keep time to dey music. Den dey all stop an' let one of de fiddlers play by himself, he would flip his fiddle over his head, den behin' his back an' away on hit, den he raise hit over his head, den under his right, den his left leg, an' keep right on a playin', till de leader calls on him to "Halt". Den dey all line up for dey contest.  W'en de contest start each man plays his best an' most of de time he has somebody to accompany him, sometimes wid a straw lookin' piece he put across de strings of de fiddle, den he bounce hit up an' down on de strings an' beat out his accompanyin' de fiddler, de faster de fiddler plays de faster de boy jig his 'companying for him.  De nex' one has his brother to 'company him wid his guitar an' dey show what dey kin do, effin any body wanted to dance. Dey play each by turn on an' on for two, three hours, den de last ones is whar dey has a quartet of brothers, an' dey play like hit is one man a playin' after dey is thro', dey has de judges to call off who won de first place, an' dey most always has hit to be somebody dat pleases dem all.  De fiddlers in Texas in de early days was like de ones in de old States, dey put de life dey lives into de music of de fiddle, you kin hear de wild coyotes call an' de panthers shrill scream, de lowin' of de cattle in de fiddle's music. Dey play such tunes as "Wolves-A-Howlin'", "Corn Shukin'", "Dyin' Cowboy", "Daddy's pack O' Hounds", "Wild Horse in de Canebrake", "Dat Big Black Bear Will Get You Honey", an' all de old time dance tunes. "W'en de fiddlers contest is over hit is not finished till dey has a few dances of de old time square dance. De boss of de fiddlers call out de sets, he call out, "First couple on de floor," de young an' de old goes to pairin' off, an' walks on de floor to wait for de fiddle to start up de dance. W'en dey starts de caller call out as de fiddlers commence to play "Tune up de fiddle, resin up de bow, We'll knock de debbil out'a Cotton-eyed Joe," den de leader call out "Swing-four, in a deep voice, "Swing your pa'dners one an' all, Swing dat gal in de checkered shawl", de room looks like a checker-board of dancers, four couples to de square. "Gents, hand in yer pockets, back to de wall, Take a chaw of terbacker an' balance all. Dey swing dey partners faster an' faster, now de young Massa's git bolder an' he picks up his partner while he swings her, an' de caller call out "Quit dat huggin', Aint yer 'shamed? Promenade, Oh Promenade, Chicken in de bread pan peckin' out dough, Monkey on de fence rail, here we go, Promenade, Oh, Promenade. Swing your partner, Ladies bow, An' Gents know how All run away. "An' dis is de way de fiddlers contest an' de dance ends. 

So hit is not all Indians Massacrees, an' war in de early days, I kin 'member some of de early settlers 'round old Fairfield an' Springfield, dey was de Smith's , dat I belonged to, de Stroud's , de Anglin's , de Feifer's , de Burns , de Bates , Nelson's , an' de Cox's , besides jes a lot dat I does not 'member right now  W'en de Civil War cum dey sent dey young Massa's an' a lot of de old ones too, w'en dey cum home, de ones dat is left to cum, dey start all over agin, an' pretty soon de whole place looks like it did befo' de War, den dey was de World War, de young Massa's de sons of de ones dat went to de war long time ago goes across de ocean an' dis time some of de nigger slaves boys go too, dey is all one now for dey country.  Dey has de bands a playin' w'en dey leave, an' de young Misses presents dem a flag jes like dey did in de other war, de young Massa' an' de young Misses kiss each other goodbye, an' maybe dey has de weddin' for some of dem befo' dey goes, jes like dey did in de other days. I has heard somewhar dat "history repeats itself," so dis is de way dat de young Massa's live dey lives over de way dey old Massa did befo' dem. "Captain Scott Reed , a lawyer of Grosbeck organized a volunteer Company dat de Government accepted, dey say dat no other town of dis size in de United States organized a company dat went to France. Some of dem is sleepin' in Flanders Field, de "Sim Ashburn Post" of de American Legion was named after de first one of dis company dat fell in battle.

On each 11th day of November, if yer are near de Legion Hall yer kin hear dem singin' de songs of de World War. "On Fames eternal Campin' Groun's, Dey silent tents are spread, An' Glory guards, wid solemn rounds, De Bivouac of de Dead.