Gus Jackson

Gus Jackson , a "soldier of fortune," lives in a small shack on the back of a lot on Marconi Street. With the exception of a well-trained German police dog, he lives alone. Gus is much traveled, having spent a part of his life in various countries. His dialect is not particularly that of a Negro,  more of an average uneducated person. Gus is rather short and stockily built. He wears a mustache, and has flashing white teeth. He is far above the average Negro in intelligence, and does not look his seventy-three years. He seems to be quite a romancer, and his story is full of discrepancies. I was born first day of freedom  June 19, 1865  at Bellville, Austin County, Texas. Born on F. M. Cloud's plantation. Father lived on Cloud's plantation forty years, but he put in most of his slavery days in Virginia, near Richmond. He was refuged to Texas durin' the time of the Civil War, because Texas was not fought over at that time. People in de old states which was befought in sent their darkies out to Texas. People in de ole states freed their slaves six months 'fore they was in Texas. My father's name was Andrew Jackson . He use to sit down an' talk about slavery time. How de 'patteroles' (probably patrols) was runnin' to ketch up an' bring in them what runned away. White people was good to my father an' my mother. Her name was Mariah . My father' massa bought my mother to be mate for my father, 'cause father has fell in love with mother while she was on another plantation. My father lived to be one hundred an' fifteen years ole. My mother was eighty-four when she died. My father was with his young massa one yeah durin' de war. Den they come home on a furlough. Ole Massa 'cided t' send the bunch (slaves) t' Texas. Father said young Massa got killed after that furlough home. He glad he sent to Texas. Father say he in de battle of Shiloah, an' was wounded through de arm an' leg. He carried the scars, and was crippled till his death. He said there use t' be big riots jus' after freedom. Some o' th' niggers was beat up. But Mr. Cloud pertected his cullud folks. The early part o' my life was spent in south Texas. My father hired me out when I was nine years ole t' a man who owned a hog ranch. I worked on that ranch until I was fourteen years old, an' then I went to work rustlin' cattle for Mr. Cloud . Mr. Cloud owned several ranches, an' I was sent out to the ranch close to Comanche, Texas. Until I was twenty-two years ole my father collected my wages. I never got a penny of it. Cloud done more for me dan my own daddy done. I was still workin' for him when he was killed. Mr. Cloud was richest man in dat part of th' country, but he had a lot o' enemies that deceited with him. I got married first time when I was twenty-two years old. My wife's name was Mary Woolrich . I still have th' license. I crazy 'bout dat gal. I always believed in having one wife  that is, one at a time. I was married five times in all. I enlisted in Spanish-American War in Florida, and was sent to Savannah, Georgia, to de trainin' camp in de navy yard. I stayed dere a year an' six months 'fore I was sent to Santiago. From dere I went to Spain. I seen plenty o' fightin'; wound up in big fight; brest works of barb wire an' cotton bales surroundin' de trench. Battle lasted five hours. My regiment was with de Tenth Cavalry. We fell off our hosses an' went in dat trench. De Spanish give up. Only 'bout forty men lost. My pardner was shot down 'side o' me. I wasn't wounded. All wounds I ever got was at home 'fore I went over. I was in five battles in Spain. In 1895 I went to pure gamblin'. For twenty-two years I traveled in thirty-six different states. Was in Louisiana a lot. Tended bar there. Spent three years in Old Mexico. Got in trouble down there, an' come back to St. Louis. I was in South America fo' eighteen months.