Yes, suh, I'm borned in slavery and not 'shamed of it, 'cause I can't help how I'm borned, Dere am folks what wont say dey borned in slavery. Us plantation an near Maxie, over in Oglethorpe County, in Georgia, and massa an John Hurt and he have near a hunerd slaves. Us live in de li'l cabin make from logs chink with mud and straw and twigs an mix with dat mud to make it hold. De big chimley am outside de cabin mostly, and am logs and mud, too. De cabin am 'bout ten by twenty feet and jus' one room. Would I like some dem rations we used to git, now? 'Deed I would. Dem was good, dat meat and cornmeal and 'lasses and plenty milk and sometimes butter. De meat am mostest pork, with some beef, 'cause massa raise plenty hawgs and tendin' meat curin' am my first work. I puts dat meat in de brine and den smokes de hams and shoulders. When hawg-killin' time come I'm busy watchin' de smokehouse, what am big, and hams and sich hung on racks 'bout six feet high from de fireplace. Den it my duty to keep dat fire smoulderin' and jus' smokin'. De more smoke, de better. Den I packs dat meat in hawgs heads and puts salt over each layer. Dat am some meat. I mus' tell you 'bout dat whiskey and brandy. Massa have he own still and allus have three barrels or more whiskey and brandy on hand. Den on Christmas Day, him puts a tub of whiskey or brandy in de yard and hangs tin cups 'round de tub. Us helps ourselves. At first us start jokin' with each other, den starts to sin and everybody an Lap y. Massa matches us and if one us gittin' too much, massa sends Lin to he cabin and he sleep it off. Anyway, dat one day on massa's place all am happy and forgits dey am slaves. De last Christmas 'fore surrender I gits too much and am sick. Gosh a-mighty! Dat de sickest I ever be and dat de last time I gits drunk. Yes, suh, dat spoil dis nigger's taste for whiskey. Now, 'bout whuppin's, dere an only one whuppin' what am give. Jerry gits dat, 'cause he wont do what massa say.

He tie Jerry on de log and have de rawhide whup. Dere am system on dat plantation. Everybody do he own work, sich as field hands, stock hands, de blacksmith and de shoemaker and de weavers and clothes makers. I'm all 'round worker and goes after de mail, jus' runnin' 'round de place. When de war start, all massa's sons jines de army. He have three. John am de captain and James carry de flag and I guesses August am jus' de plain sojer. Dey all comes home 'fore de war am finish. August git run over by de wheel of de cannon truck and it cripple he legs so he can't walk good. James gits sick with some kind fever misery and he am sent home. Den John am shot in de shoulder and it stay sore and won't heal. One day Jerry say to massa he want to look at dat sore. Him see somethin' stickin' out and he pull it. It a piece of young massa's coat and de bullet have carry it into de flesh and it am dere a whole year. De sore gits all right after dat out. Fore de boys goes to fightin' dey trains near de place where am de big field for to train hunerds of sojer boys. I likes dat, 'cause de drums goes, 'ter-ump, ter-ump, ter-ump, tump, tump.' and de fifes goes, 'te, te, ta, te, tat' and plays Dixie. One day Young massa trainin' dem sojers and he am walkin' backwards and facin' dem sojers, and jus' as him say, 'Halt,' down he go, flat on he back. Right away quick, him say, ' 'Bout face,' 'cause him don't want dem sojers to laugh in he face, so he turn dem 'round. When surrender come, all dem what not kilt comes home and dey have a big 'ception in Maxie. Dey have lots of long tables and de food an put on 'fore de train come in. Dere was two coaches full of de boys and dey doesn't wait for dat train to stop. No, suh, dey crawls out de windows. Well, dere am huggin' and kissin' of de homefolks, and dey all laughin' and cryin' at de same time, 'cause of de joy dey's feelin'. Den dey all sets down to de feast. Massa make de welcome talk. I done hide in de wagon full of hams and cakes and pies and dere a canvas over dat stuff, and dat how I gits to dat welcome home. I crawls out 'fore dey unloads de wagon and 'fore long masse see me and him say, 'Gosh for hemlock! Boy, how comes you here?' I lets my face slip a li'l, 'bout half a laugh. I says, 'I rides under dat canvas.' Dat start him laughin' and he tells de people dat I'm a pat'otic nigger. After dey all cats us niggers gits to eat. For once, I gits plenty pie and cake. Us never have much joyments in slave time. Only when do corn ready for huskin' all de neighbors comes dere and a whole big crowd an a-huskin' and singin'.

I can't 'member dem songs, 'cause I'm not much for singin'. One go like dis: Pull de husk, break de ear; Whoa, I's got de red ear here.' When you finds de red ear, dat 'titles you to de prize, like kissin' de gal or de drink of brandy or somethin'. Dey not 'nough red ears to suit us. I'm thirteen year when surrender come. Massa don't call us to him like other massas done. Him jus' go 'mongst de folks and say, 'Well, folks, yous am free now and no longer my prop'ty, and yous 'titled to pay for work. I 'member old Jerry sings, 'Free, free as de jaybird, free to flew like de jaybird. Whew!' Some de cullud folks stays and some goes. Mostest dem stays and works de land on shares. I stays till I'm eighteen year and den I works for a farmer den for a blacksmith den some carpenter work and some railroadin'. De fact am, I works at anything I could find to does. I does dat most my life. It good for me to stay with Massa Hurt after freedom, 'cause den dey plenty trouble in every place. Dere an fightin' 'twixt white and cullud folks over votin' and sich. Dey try 'lect my brudder to Congress one time, but he not 'lect, 'cause de white man what am runnin' 'gainst him gits a cullud preacher to run 'gainst dem both. Dat split de cullud votes and de white man am 'lect. I votes like de white man say, couple times, but after dat I stops votin'. It ain't right for me to vote 'less I knows how and why. I larns to read and den starts votin' 'gain. After de war de Ku Klux am org'nize and dey makes he niggers plenty trouble. Sometimes de niggers has it comin' to 'em and lots of times dey am 'posed on. Dere a old, cullud man name George and he don't trouble nobody, but one night de white caps - dat what dey called - comes to George's place. Now, George know of some folks what am whupped for no cause, so he prepare for dem white cape. Then dey gits to he house George am in de loft. He tell dem he done nothin' wrong and for dem to go 'way, or he kilt dem. Dey say he gwine have a free sample of what he git if he do wrong and one Dem white caps starts up de ladder to git George and George shoot him dead. 'Nother white cap starts shootin' through de ceilin'. He can't see George but through de cracks George can see and he shoots de second feller. So dey leaves and say dey come back. George runs to he old massa and he takes George to de law men. Never nothin' am done 'bout him killin' de white caps, 'cause dem white caps goes 'round 'busing niggers. I comes to Texas 'bout 40 year since and gits by purty good till de depression comes, den it hard for me. My age am 'gainst me, too, and many de time I's wish for some dat old ham and bacon on de old plantation. First I marries Ann Arrant , in 1898 dat was, and us have three chillen but dey all dead. Us git sep'rate in 1917 and I marries Mary Durham in 1921, and us still livin' together. Us have no chillen. Mammy have ten chillen but I'm de only one what am livin' now, 'cause I'm de youngest.

Charley Hurt , 85, was born a slave to Mr. James Hurt , who owned about 100 slaves and a large plantation in Oglethorpe Co., Tex. Charley heard sounds of one of the Civil War battles fought near the place. He remained with his master after freedom for five years, when he secured employment at various kinds of employment. His first marriage was to Ann Arrant in 1898. Three children were born to them, now dead. Charley came to Ft. Worth in 1899, and has since been a resident of the city. He and his wife separated in 1917. His second marriage was to Mary Durham in 1921. No children were born to them, and they now reside at 308 S. Harding St., Ft. Worth, Tex.

Yas Sar, I's bo'n in slavery an' am not 'shame ob it, 'cause I's can't he'p how I's bo'n. Dere am some peoples dat wont 'mit deys bo'n in slavery, 'cause deys 'shame ob it. Well, 'taint no reason fo' to be 'shame. De plantation whar I's bo'n am in Oglethorpe County, Georgia, an' 'twas neah a little place called Maxie. Dat's whar de Post Office am, an' whar I's have to goes to fetch de mail. De Marster's name am John Hurt , an' 'twas 'bout 100 slaves dat him owns. Him also have three sons, 'twas John , James , an' August . Dey was young mens w'en I's a boy. Lak most all de cullud gua'tahs in dem days, de cabins am made f'om logs chinked wid mud. 'Twas straw an' twigs mixed wid de mud fo' to make it hold together. De chimney am built wid small logs an' mud, an' made outside de cabin. Deys am 'bout 10 by 20, an' most ob dem am jus' one room. 'Twas two room cabins fo' de big fam'lies. Yous ask 'bout de treatment. Well, 'twas good as can be. Dere am plenty ob good rations sich as meat, veg'tables, co'n meal, fruit, 'lasses, milk an' buttah. De meat am mostest pork, wid some beef. De Marster raises lots ob hawys, an' de meat am cured by weuns. 'Tendin' de meat curin' am de fust wo'k dat I's does. De meat am fust put in brine, an' den de hams an' shouldahs am smoked. W'en hawg killin' time comes, I's a busy young man watchin' de smokehouse. 'Twas a big smokehouse, an' de hams an' sich am hung on racks 'bout six feet high f'om de fiahplace. Den 'twas my duty to keep de fiah smolderin', an' jus' smokin'. De mo' smoke, de bettah. Aftah de meat am smoked, den it am packed in hawgheads an' salt put over each layah. Now, dat am some meat. I's lak to have some ob it right now. Well, weuns am given plenty ob dat kind ob meat, an' it beats de kind weuns gits nowadays by long ways. I's don't wants to fo'gits to tells 'bout de whiskey an' de brandy. Weuns don't have all weuns wants ob sich, 'cept on Christmas. De Marster have his own still, an' always have at least three barrels ob whiskey an' brandy on hand. Den on Christmas day, him puts a tub ob whiskey, or brandy, in de yahd ob de qua'tahs, an' hangs tin cups 'roun' de tub. Den de cullud fo'ks he'ps demse'ves. Well, at de fust, deys all jokin' wid each tudder. Aftah while, deys stahts to sing an' ever'body am happy. De Marster watches dem, an' w'en he sees one ob dem am gittin' too much, de Marster sends de fellow to his cabin whar he usually sleeps it off. Anyway, dat am one day on de Marster's place, all am happy an' fo'gits dey am slaves. De last Christmas befo' surrendah, I's gits too much befo' I's realize it, an' gits sick. Gosh a mighty! 'Twas de sickest I's ever be, an' dat am de last time dat I's ever gits drunk. Yas Sar, dat spoiled dis nigger's taste fo' whiskey.

Now 'bout de whuppin's, dere am only one whuppin' dat am given. 'Twas Jerry dat gits de whuppin'. It am dis away: Jerry am told what to does, an' him goes an' does somethin' else. Well, de Marster am awful mad 'bout dat. He tied Jerry down on a log, an' whups him wid de rawhide whup. De Mistez am dere, an' she pleads fo' Jerry , but 'twarnt no use. De Marster says, Dere am some things I's wont stand fo', an' I's must show dat I's wont". Dat am de only whuppin's dat I's know 'bout. Now, 'twas once dat young Marster John slapped my mother while she am a-wo'kin' in de cotton field. It am aftah surrendah w'en him a-pesterin' her, an' she gits mad an' cusses him. Well, den he cuffs her 'roun'. 'Twarnt much, but dat makes me mad, an' I's sweahs 'vengement on him. I's young an' have de high tempah, an' 'cides to kill him fo' cuffin' my mammy. 'Twas 'bout six months aftah de cuffin' dat I's have it all 'ranged how I's gwine to kill him wid de axe. I's told my mammy 'bout what I's gwine to does on de next day. Him an' me am gwine to de woods. Mammy pleads wid me not to does it, an' makes me promise not to. She says dat she will tells de Marster 'bout it if I's don't promise not to. Since dat, I's glad many times dat mammy fo'ced me to change my mind. Dere am a great system on de plantation. Ever'body am put to doin' certain wo'k, sich as de field hands, de ones dat 'tends to de stock, de blacksmith, de shoemakah dat also makes de harness, an' den de weavahs an' clothes makahs. Dere am also de ones dat cares fo' de stock. De wo'k stock am oxen, mules, an' some hosses. I's a general all 'roun' wo'kah. Twice de week, I's goes aftah de mail, an' sich errands, jus' runnin' 'roun' 'bout de place. Now, w'en de wah stahts, all de Marster's sons j'in de ahmy. John am de captain, James carries de flag, an' I's guess August am jus' plain sojer. Deys all comes home befo' de wah am over. August gits run over by de wheel ob de cannon truck, an' cripples his leg so he can't walk good. James gits sick wid some kind ob fever misery, an' he am sent home. Den John am shot in de shouldah, an' it stays sore. Dat place wont heal, an' sometimes it troubles him lots. One day, de cullud fellow dat gits whupped, Jerry , says to de Marster,  Lets see what I's can see 'bout dat sore". John lets Jerry look at it, an' 'twas corruption comin' out ob it. Him see somethin' dat am stickin' out ob de sore, so he pulls it out. 'Twas a piece ob young Marster's coat. De bullet had carried a piece ob de coat into de flesh, an' dere it am fo' de yeahs time. De sore gits all right aftah Jerry pulls dat piece ob cloth out ob it. Befo' de boys goes to fittin', deys trains neah de place whar dere am a big field dat am used fo' to train hundreds ob tudder boys. I's goes often to watch dem train, 'cause 'twas fun fo' me. I's lak to heah de drums go, "ter-ump, ter-ump, ter-ump, tump, tump," an' de fifes go, "te, te, ta, te, tat" (humming the tune of "Dixie").

One day w'en I's watchin' de young Marster John trainin' de sojers, yous know how de captains says, "Halt, 'bout face", well, Captain John am a-walkin' backwards an' facin' de sojers w'en he gives de o'dah, an' jus' as him says, "Halt!", down he goes, flat on his back. Right away quick, him says,  Bout face!", befo' him gits up. He don't wants de sojers to laugh in his face, so he turns dem 'roun'. Weuns sees lots ob Confed'rate sojers at de fust ob de wah, an' lots ob Yanks at de last. Once, weuns heahs de cannons shootin'. De battle am close to weuns, but too fah fo' weuns to sees any fittin'. W'en surrendah comes, an' all de boys in de neighbahood dat am not killed comes home, de fo'ks gives dem de big 'ception at Maxie. Dere deys have lots ob long tables, an' de food am placed on dem befo' de train comes in. Dere was two coaches full ob de boys. De boys don't wait fo' de dooah w'en de train comes in, but crawls out de windahs. Well, dere am huggin', an' kissin' ob de home fo'ks. Deys all laughin' an' cryin' at de same time, 'cause ob de joy deys feelin'. W'en de huggin', an' kissin', an' sich am over, deys all sats down to de feast. Dere am some mens dere dat gives de welcome talk. De Marster am one ob dem. How 'twas dat I's dere am dis away: De Marster don't says anything 'bout de cullud a-gwine, but I's know dat if weuns ask him to lets weuns go, him would says, "No." So, w'en de wagon am loaded wid de food, a whole lot ob it, too, sich as hams, cakes, pies, an' a lot ob tudder stuff, deys puts a canvas over de stuff. Well, dis nigger crawls undah de canvas, an' dere I's rides to de welcome pahty. W'en weuns gits to Maxie, deys am talkin' 'bout how deys gwine to does dis an' dat befo' deys unloads de food. While deys am talkin', I's crawls out. 'Twarnt long 'til de Marster sees me. Him says, "Gosh fo' hemlock! Boy, how come yous am heah?" I's lets my face slip a little, 'bout ha'f a laugh. I's wants to laugh 'bout how I's come wid him, but I's skeert I's gwine to git slapped. Still, de Marster don't seem to be mad. I's says, "I's rides undah de canvas". Den him stahts laughin', an' tells de people 'roun' him, "I's a pat'iotic nigger". I's sho glad he aint mad, an' aftah while, de white fo'ks am done eatin'. Dere am lots ob rations left, an' dey says to de niggers dat deys can eat. Dere am quite a few niggers dere, sich as comes wid dere Marsters. Allus cullud fo'ks sats down an' eats all weuns can hold. Fo' once, I's gits plenty ob pie an' cake. Now, 'bout de 'joyments on de place, 'twarnt much, sich as de pahties, 'twarnt held. Weuns never have anything lak dat. Dere am de co'n huskin's. Dat am de time dat weuns all looks fo'ward to. W'en de co'n am ready fo' de huskin', de neighbahs all comes together, an' goes to fust one place an' den de tudder an' husk de co'n. A whole big crowd am a-huskin', an' deys sing while deys wo'k. It am all kinds ob songs. I's can't 'membahs much 'bout dem, 'cause I's not much fo' singin'. I's 'membahs de words ob one, an' it goes lak dis: Pull de husk, break de ear; Whoa, I's got a red ear deah. Yous see, w'en yous find de red ear, dat 'titles yous to de prize, lak kissin' a gal, or de drink ob brandy, or somethin' lak dat. 'Twarnt many red ears, not 'nough 'fo to suit weuns. I's 13 yeahs old w'en surrendah comes. De Marster don't call allus to him lak de tudder Marsters done.

Him jus' goes 'mong de fo'ks an' says,  Well, fo'ks. Yous am free now. Yous am no longah my property, an' yous am 'titled to pay fo' wo'k, an' yous can go to tudder place if yous can find wo'k to does dere". I's 'membahs how old Jerry done w'en him says dat. Jerry sings Free, free as de jay bird, free to flew lak de jay bird, Whew! Some ob de cullud fo'ks stayed, an' some ob dem goes. Mostest ob dem dat stayed, wo'ked de land on shares. I's stayed wid de Marster 'til I's 18 yeahs old. 'Twas five yeahs aftah surrendah w'en I's left. Den, I's wo'ked fo' a fahmah fo' a while, den as a blacksmith he'pah, did some cahpentah wo'k, an' did some railroadin'. De fact am, I's wo'ked at anything I's could find to does. I's does dat all my life.  Twas good fo' me dat I's stay wid de Marster Hurt aftah surrendah, 'cause 'twas lots ob trouble in de diffe'nt places. Dere am fittin' 'twix de cullud fo'ks an' de whites 'bout 10 miles f'om Maxie, over votin' an' sich. Dey am tryin' to 'lect my brudder to Congress one time. He warnt 'lected 'cause de white man dat am runnin' 'gainst him, gits a cullud preachah to run 'gainst dem both. Dat splits de cullud votes, an' dat way, de white man am 'lected. "I's voted lak de white man says, coupla times. I's stopped votin' aftah dat, 'cause I's den undahstands dat 'twarnt right fo' me to vote 'less I's know how, an' why. Latah, I's voted 'cause I's larnt to read, an' could undahstand what I's a-doin'.  Twas aftah de wah dat de Ku Klux Klan am o'ganized. Well, deys caused de niggers lots ob trouble. Sometimes de cullud fo'ks have it comin' to dem, an' lots ob times, dey am 'posed on. I's never have any trouble wid de Klux, 'cause I's stay whar I's have business, an' kep' 'way f'om whar I's have none.

Dere am some trouble wid de Klux in my neighbahood. 'Twas an old cullud fellow named, George .  He don't trouble anybody, but one night, de white caps, dat's what deys am called, comes to his place. Now, George knows ob some fo'ks dat am whupped fo' no cause, so he prepared fo' dem. W'en de Klux comes to his house, George am in de loft. Him told dem dat him have done nothin' wrong, an' fo' dem to goes 'way, or he would kill dem. Deys told him dat deys gwine to show him what him would git if he did somethin' wrong. Sho, deys gwine to give him de free sample.  Well, one ob de men stahts up de laddah to git George out ob de loft. W'en he gits part way up, George shoots de fellow dead. Den a tudder fellow stahts to shoot through de ceilin'. Co'se, deys can see George , an' George can see dem through de cracks, an' he shoots a tudder fellow. Deys leave den, an' told him dat deys would be back. George runs an' told his old Marster as soon as dey leaves. De Marster tooks him to de law men, an' dere am never anythin' done 'bout de old cullud fellow shootin', an' killin' dem white caps. 'Twas larnt dat 'twas young fellows 'guised as de white caps, an' gwine 'roun' 'busin' de niggers. I's comes to Texas 'bout 40 yeahs ago, an' I's gits by pretty good 'til de 'pression comes, den 'twas hahd fo' me. My age am 'gainst me, too, so many peoples dat use to have me wo'k fo' dem, says I's too old. Many's de time dat I's wished fo' some ob de good old ham an bacon dat I's fixed on de old place. I's mai'ied to Ann Arrant de fust time, in 1898. Three chilluns am bo'n to weuns, but deys all dead now. Weuns sep'rated in 1917, an' I's mai'ied de second time in 1921. 'Twas Mary Durham dat I's gits dis time, an' weuns am still livin' together. No chilluns have been bo'n to weuns. I's have brudders an' sistahs. My mammy have ten chilluns but I's de only one dat am livin'. I's de youngest, so I's de last ob de fam'ly, an' dere can't be many mo' yeahs fo' dis old cullud fellow.