My pa was name' Henry Jones and he was one of de han's on Dowdell plantation. His ol' marster was name' Dowdell , but I dunno his fus' name nor what he ol' mistus was name. My ma was name' Lizzie and her ol' marster was Seburn Whatley . He had a big plantation. My ma and pa was marry by de broomstick law. Dat Dowdell plantation jine' nex' to de Whatley plantation. Dem plantation was in Harris county, Georgy, not fur from Columbus.   Dey was a woman on de place dey call Aunt Betsy . She claim' me 'cause she didn' had no chillen of her own and dey give me to her for her to raise. She kep' me at night. She was a stout woman and could wuk anywhere a man could wuk, and dey wukked her like dat.  My ma she spun and wove de clof what de clo'se was mek outer. De way de place was 'ranged (arranged) dey was de big house w'ere de marster live, den behin' was a row of 'bout fifteen or twenty cabin' on one side and another row of fifteen or twenty cabin' on de other side.  Dey uster beat de niggers. Dey buckle' 'em 'cross a barrel and beat 'em. Dey didn' treat my ma so bad. My gramma she die when my ma was a baby and dey raise her on a suck bottle. Dey was a young mistis on de place. She was 'bout ready for marriage, I b'leeve." I dunno 'bout Seburn . He wasn't so bad but de strawbosses was. Dey was de ones what buckle' 'em 'cross de barrel and beat 'em. Dey hab de slaves out 'till ten 'clock at night wukkin' 'em, sometime.  I was jis' t'ree year' ol' when freedom come, but what I tell you is what my ma tell me.  I b'leeve I seed sperrits. De fus' time I 'scover (discover) one I was 'bout grown and some of us was comin' from chu'ch 'bout twelve 'clock at night. Dey was a place w'ere two roads cross' like I got my fingers cross' now. Dey say dat one time dey burn a man and his wife dere. All of a suddent it look like a string of candles bristle up right at my feet. All of us git scared but my ma, she warn't scared. But de Lawd'll hafter tell me hisse'f dat I warn't scared befo' I'd b'leeve it. I couldn't run. It was like sumpin' a-holden' my legs. Dat was Sadday night and I didn't git over it 'till Monday.  In a town I forgit what a day or two atter a woman die, her sister-in-law say she b'leeve she see her. She say she like paper and come in and move' 'roun' like she lookin' atter her t'ings. She say she b'leeve dat Tommy , dat what dey call de woman what die. One evenin' I gone to de spring and I see a black dog and a fice. I dip up de bucket and set it down. De dogs was gone. I see two dogs on de hill, but dey warn't de ones I see at de spring. De bucket go down like smoke. I allus say it was Tommy what done it. Her husban' name was Willie . Dey uster sing lots of songs, but I ain't got my singin' min' now. I 'member one start like dis: 'Dem bones of mine, Comin' togedder in de morning'.' My daddy he teached me how to shout.  When I was little dey sot me and my brudder to pick a row of cotton togedder. Dey figger dat was de task for us to do. Dat was atter my pa die. De Klu Klux uster run 'em and beat 'em and not 'low 'em to go to other plantation. I dunno nuthin' 'bout passes. De men from de other plantations what marry on Whatley's place dey slip' in and out when dey want to see dey wives. I been marry twict. My fus' husban' was Joe White and us had t'ree chillen. Molly Anderson de only one of dem what's livin' now. De ol'es' one would be 58 years ol' if she was livin' now. I was 'bout 16 when I git marry. Few years atter dat, I marry Lewis Forrest and us had t'ree chillen. One of 'em, Minnie , she still livin'. Her name' Minnie Palmer now. Dat's her dere and I lives here wid her. I been livin' in Texas goin' on thirty-nine years.