I ain't never had no mammy or no pappy that I knowed of. He jest told me that they was sold off in anuther country indifferent from this one. I remember old master saying that when I was a little baby that we was in Kentucky. But I only got a recollection of Lynchburg, Virginia, where I growed up. We lived on a great big farm near by to there. I guess I was the most know-nothing little boy that ever was. I was sho' ignunt. I jest didn't know nothing 'til I was plumb growed up. But I 'members some of the things I seen but I didn't think nothing of it at the time. I growed up in the house of old master. He had a big log house. I slep' in a little side room built on the big house. I had a carpet on the floor to sleep on and one to cover up with. It was a fine good enough bed, I guess, in warm weather but I used to near to freeze to death when 'twas cold. Now I know that the beds that the niggers in the little log cabins on the flats were bunk beds. Wooden slabs stuck one on top of 'tother. Master had a right smart lot of niggers to work. I guess he had a league of land. Leastways he had a lot. I never had no truck with them though, only the cooks that worked in the house. Now in them days the cooking was different. They cooked in a oven in the fireplaces. Master's house had a stick chimney. It was made by putting the sticks together like building a pen and all gommed (gummed) together with mud. They had a big fireplace in the kitchen with bog pots hanging over the fire. Plenty in them pots too. We had plenty good things to eat. But we jest ate cornbread. Never did have no lightning (light or white) bread. Didn't know nothing 'bout it 'til I was growed up. I worked around the house. It was my main job to bring in the wood. I brought in the big back logs when I was just a little boy. We kept big blazing, roarin' fires. Then I had to feed the blood hounds. Old master had eight of them. They was smart dogs. They was raised up that way. Now I know that master had some niggers that would run away when they get a chance. If they 'tuk to the woods Master put the dogs on them and the nigger have to take to a tree. I heared master say his dogs was trained up not to tear a nigger up when they kotch them. He says they just grab a-holt of the niggers's clothes and hold him til they put a rope around them and bring them to the bull pen. The bull pen was a big boarded up pen like a little cow lot. Ceptin the boards went up and down and on the outside you couldn't see in. You could hear a lot though. I used to hear a nigger screaming and yellin', "Lord-a-mercy, old master, Murder! Please don't kill me. Old master, I be good." Now this what went on in the bull pen. The cook told me that they put a nigger cross a hogshead in there and they took his pants off him and beat him on his bare back and behind. They had a big whip with nine prongs (lashes) that would raise big blisters. Then they whupped some more and they would bust the blisters. I heared that when they took a nigger in the bull pen on his feet they brought him out lyin down. Leastways they drug him out. Then the pore things would have to drag around doing light work, pickin' up brush and such like that. Sometimes they die right away; sometimes they get over it pretty soon; and sometimes they drag around for months and then get alright; but some jest withers away. In them olden days things was sho' indifferent from now. For one thing they didn't have no water ceptin' what come out of the springs and the niggers was bringin' water all the time from the spring in wooden buckets. They called them the old cedar buckets. Then they drank out of gourds that they cut the top off and dug the insides out. They held water jest as good as anything they have now-a-days. I wore split shirts til' I was nearly growed up. I wanted me a little pair of pants but I'm telling the truth when I say I didn't wear nothing, nothing a 'tall for the most part cept that shirt. Many times I went in the snow barefoot. When I got bigger they got me brass studded shoes and a hat once a year but no pants. When I was little boy I didn't have no chilluns to play with like they do now-days. I jest sat around studyin' (thinking).

Old master would come in at night though, and say,  Bud , come here and cut me a step or two.  He liked to see me dance. I had to dance for all the company. I could do the ground shuffle, the pigeon wing and the back step. I can still do them. Then he taught me how to play the Jews harp and the French harp and the macordion. They raised cotton on old master's place and they hauled it in a ox-wagon to Shrevesport. 'Pears to me like that is the place. Then when they got the haulin' done, old master give the niggers a frolic. I heared them shoutin' way into the night. They hollers out "holy", and "Glory". Then I 'members hearing 'bout the log rollin after they cleared the stumps out of the new ground. I heared they burned up the stumps in a big fire and had something good to eat and something to drink. I guess they drank water. I wondered why thay had a frolic to drink water. Strangerest things happened in them days. I 'member plain as if 'twas yistiddy the big day of darkness. I wasn't skeered. But a big dark cloud come up in a clear sky and no wind nor nothing. Just started getting dark 'bout three o'clock in the afternoon and it come on fast and got dark as pitch night. The chickens went to roost and the cows jest lay down in they places. Old master said not to he skeered but it was a sign 'twas nearing the end of time. I jest didn't know what he was talkin' 'bout. This evidently was the meteorological display that occurred in 1866-67 when the earth again swung into the orbit of the meteorlogical display of 1833. Then I seen the fallin' starts.  I seen them showerin' down with hundreds of sprangles. Folks now-a-days don't know it but it lit up half the world. It seemed pretty strange to me. And I was skeered.  Nuther thing I seen I ain't got over is the big platforms where they sold niggers.  They mated them up like as if they was married only course they wasn't and it wasn't they choosin'. But they do that to make them healthy and strong. You could see them white folks with a bunch of neggers chained together and they would get on the platform and cry them off 'til somebody got them and 'tuk them off. A time come when we used to see sojers a tromping by our place. Sometimes they was in big lots and sometimes not so many. They said 'twas a war. They said it was the big revolutionary war and they said they was rebels and some said they was blue bellies and some said they was yankees.

You couldn't go by what folks said, cause I found out later on that it was the civil war.  Then one day old master ran a bell and called up all the niggers round the place. He held up a white flag afore them and said,  You listen good to me, cause I'm going to tell you something you going be glad to hear. There ain't no more slavery. You is free." The niggers jumped straight up in the air and they dance and sing and shout,  The freedom, oh praise to God, the freedom! Thank God! Whoopee! Whoopee! Whoopee!  Then that night down on the flats around the cabins the niggers was milling all night. They had torches and they marched 'round a shoutin' and a singin'. They sang this song!  No more bull whips going to call me No more, no more Like times a many thousand gone No more, no more No more blood hounds going to run me No more, no more Like many thousands have No more, no more. Then in the morning they was gone clear away. I went into Lynchburg with old master in a buggy. We seen the blue bellies sojers. They was dressed up in the finest toggery I ever seen. They had big caps with tassels on them and pretty blue suits. They had big cannon guns on wheels. They went marching to a band and the drums were playin' to the way they steps up and down. They had the finest carriages; some of them drawn by a span of four horses. They was a extra fine carriage with six fine horses hitched up to it. I heared it was General Grant the biggest blue belly of all that rid in it. I never did see no call to call them blue bellies. I dont thing they had blue bellies. Leastways they looked alright to me. I was a growing up and short time to the time my master died he told me I was thirteen years old. When he was on his bed to die he called me to him and he told me,  Buddy , I ain't going be with you long. You is thirteen years old and I'm going to tell you some warnings for your own good. I ain't never beat you but I just chastised you a little for your own advisement. Now first don't never let you hand hesitate on nothing that don't b'long to you. Then I wants you to remember that there is a big black line 'twixt you and the white folks and don't you never try to cross over that line. I had the leastes' sense I ever seen. I didn't know much of what he was telling me. But I will say that white folks has always taken a liking to me and been good to me 'cause whether I knowed what they was telling me or not I always did their advisements.

Old master died and his wife and boy just went off and left me. I wondered around in the world for three or four years and I nearly starved to death. I jest started off a wandering. Sometimes in the ditch I found little piece of bread and I ate things out of the woods. Then if I pass a house sometimes they call me and tell me to chop wood and they will give me something to eat and a nickel. I done that and I think they sent word on ahead of me that I was a good boy and I picked up work around. Law they ain't no telling where all I wandered round in the different countries. One place I stopped and chopped some wood for a mill. The white man give me four bit piece. It was the first one I ever had. I give it to a store for a pair of pants and a hat. I put the pants on but I didn't have no waist to fasten them on to. So I jest tied them round my waist and put on my hat and went on feeling fine. The Ku Klux was going strong in that country. I seen niggers hanging on trees and they done cut their ears off. I don't know what for. They didn't do nothing to me. But niggers used to holler at me,  Run nigger run, or the paddyrollers gwine catch you. I thought I'd be skeered of them if I ever seen them but I never did. Some folks said they looked just like whitefolks. One time in some country I made some money and I cided to ride a train so I got on and come to Mineols (Texas). When I got off the train a nigger grabbed me. I said, "Whats the matter with you nigger?" He said, "Dont you know me? Ain't you glad to see me? I'd a knowed you anywhere. You is my brother and I is your brother.  Now that is the first I ever knowed of it and it pears funny to me that he would have knowed me when I ain't never seen him before. But that is what he said and his daughter still calls me uncle Bud to this day. I got work in Tyler on the railroad a laying down crossties. Then I ups and marries a gal. A white man told me I was too young to get a paper but I dont give him the money to get it but goes and tells the man myself and gets a paper. We had two chillun. I was crazy bout the little gal youngun. My wife wan't much good and she didn't save my money. She thought she might as well throw money away as keep it. She ran away to Terrel and married nother nigger. Leastways she tuk up with him.

One day she come back and says she wants the chilluns; that she is going to Chicago. I wanted to keep the little gal but she cried to go with the boy so I give her up. It was a big sorrowing to me. The happiest days I had was when I come to Dallas and married my second wife. She was one more good woman. She had two chilluns that jest b'longed to her and I schooled them for her. I got the same job I got now and she saved money and we got along fine, living pretty good. I worked hard and I walked to work and didn't spend no foolish money. She kept me pretty straight. I had a way of jining up with churches wherever I went jest to be jining I guess. I was growed up 'fore I knew there was sech thing but when I started jining I jest kept it up. She got me out of all that. She told me that they was meaner folks in the church than on the outside and for me to have church at home where it blonged. And she said if you dont blieve me jest look 'round for yourself. So I quit jining. I ain't never got ligion in my life, but I sho' been a good nigger as everybody knows. Well my sorrowing days come. My wife littlest gal runned off with a bad nigger to California. My wife got a letter from her and she cried and read it to me. She had some learnin'. The gal wrote that the nigger never married her and he took her out on a highway in California and put her out. It was night and she had to walk all night to get back to a town and it was cold and she got sick. She said a white lady advised with her that if she had any folks to write and tell them to send for her. I told my wife,  Now they ain't no sense in foolin' 'round. We got the money we saved. Why dont you send her the money and tell her to come home where little gals b'long. Well the little gal comes home. But she never did get to ge traipsin' off again 'cause she died. But she died at home. It was a big sorrowin'. Then my wife hurt her foot and it swelled and got pretty bad. She told me she was going to die and would I take her back down to Freestone County where her folks were and stay with her 'til she died. Well I 'splained it to my boss and I went and stayed with her 'til she dies. Well that was a big sorrowin' and I ain't had no happiness since. She was a good woman and I likes a woman to be good. I come back to Dallas and got my old job back and I manages to do right well. I can't read nor write on account of I never went to school a day in my life. But I aint' never been arrested, had to pay a fine or spent a day in jail. And then one main thing is that everybody takes a liking to me and says a good word for me.

Bud Jones , born in the early 1850's in Africa or Haiti - he has no idea which - was brought to this country by John Jones , of Kentucky. Bud is employed by the Dallas Gas Company to keep their red lanterns polished. He lives at 3100 Corinth Street. Mr. John Jones was my old master. He told me he brung me up on a bottle and brung me to the Kentucky part of this country from Africa or Haiti, but he never said which. He said he was six months on the big water and I ain't never had no mammy or pappy what I knowed of. He jes' told me they was sold off in 'nother country indifferent to this one. I don't 'member Kentucky, but I got a rec'lection of Lynchburg, where I growed up. That's in Virginia and we lived on a big farm near by to there. I guess I was the most know-nothin' little boy what ever was. I was sho' ig'rant. I jes' didn't know nothin' till I was plumb growed up. I growed up in the house of old master. He had a big, log house. I slep' in a little side room built on the big house. I had a carpet on the floor to sleep on and one to cover up with. It was a fine, good enough bed, in warm weather, but I used to near freeze to death when it was cold. Master had a right smart of niggers to work. I guess he had a league of land, leastways, he had a lot. I never had no truck with them, though, only the cooks that worked in the house. They cooked in a oven in the fireplace, and had big pots hangin' over the fire. Plenty in them pots, too. We had plenty good things to eat, but jes' cornbread, never did have no lighing bread till I was growed. It was my main most job to bring in the wood. I brung in the big, back logs when I was jus' a little boy. We kept big, blazin', roarin' fires. Then I had to feed the bloodhounds. Old master had eight of 'em. They was smart dogs. If a nigger taken to the woods master put the dogs on him and that nigger'd have to take to a tree. Master said his dogs was trained not to tear a nigger up when they cotch him. They jus' grab a-holt of the nigger's clothes and helt him till master put a rope round him and brung him to the bull pen.

The bull pen was a big, boarded up pen like a little cow lot, 'ceptin' the boards went up and down and you couldn't see in. You could hear a lot, though. I used to hear a nigger screamin' and yellin', 'Lawd-a-mercy, old master, please don't kill me. Old master, I'll be good.' Now, that's what went on in the bull pen. The cook told me they put a nigger crost a hogshead in there and taken his pants off him and beat him on his bare back and behind. They had a big whip with nine prongs that raised big blisters. I heared when they taken a nigger in the bull pen on his feet, they brung him out lyin' down. Leastways, they drug him out. Then the pore things drug round doin' light work, pickin' up bresh and sech as that. Sometimes they died right away and sometimes they got over it pretty soon, and sometimes they drug round for months and then got all right. I weared split shirts till I was nearly growed. I wanted me a a little pair of pants, but I'm tellin' the truth when I say I didn't wear nothin' - nothin' a-tall for the most part, 'cept that shirt. I went in the snow barefoot. When I was bigger they got me brass stud shoes and a hat once a year, but no pants. I didn't have no chilluns to play with. I jes' sat round studyin'. Old master come in at night and say, 'Bud, come here and cut me a step or two.' He liked to see me dance. I had to dance for all the company. I did the ground shuffle and the pigeon wing and the back step. I can still do them. Then old master teached me to play the Jew's harp and the French harp and the macordion. They raised cotton and hauled it to Shreveport. When they got the haulin' done, old master give the nigger a frolic. I heared 'em shoutin' way into the night. They hollers out, 'Holy', and 'Glory'. A time come when we'd see sojers trompin' by our place. They said it was a war, and then one day old master rang a bell and called all the niggers round and helt up a white flag afore 'em and said, 'You listen good to me, 'cause I'm goin' tell you somethin' you goin' be glad to hear. They ain't no more slavery. You is free.' The niggers jumps straight up in the air and dance and sing and shout, "The freedom, oh, praise to Gawd, the freedom! Thank Gawd!' That night down on the flats round the cabins the niggers was millin' all night. They had torches and marched round singin': No more bullwhips gwine call me, No more, no more; Like times a many thousand gone, No more, no more! No more bloodhounds gwine run me, No more, no more; Like times a many thousand gone, No more, no more!' went into Lynchburg with old master in a buggy. I seed a extra fine carriage with six hosses. I heared it was Gen. Grant, the bigges' blue belly of all. I was growin' up, and a short time to the time old master died, he told me I was thirteen years old. When he was on his bed to die, he told me, 'Buddy , I ain't goin' to be with you long. I ain't never beat you, jus' chastise you a little for your own advisement. Don't never let you hand hes'tate on nothin' what don't 'long to you and 'member they is a big line 'twixt you and white folks and don't never try to cross that line.' Then he died and his wife and boy jus' went off and left me. I wandered round in the world three or four years and near starved to death. I jus' started off a-wanderin'. Sometimes I found a piece of bread and I ate things out of the woods. One place I chopped some wood and the man give me a four bit piece. It was the first one I ever had. I give it to a man for a little pair of pants and a hat. I put the pants on but didn't have nothin' to fasten them on to. So I jus' tied 'em round my waist and put on my hat and went on feelin' fine. I got work in Tyler and ups and marries a gal. My wife run away to Terrell and married 'nother man. Leastways, she took up with him. The happiest days I had was when I come to Dallas and married my second wife. She was one more good woman. She had two chilluns jus' 'longed to her and I schooled 'em for her. I got the job I has now and we got 'long fine. I worked hard and didn't spend no foolish money. But my wife died and that was a big sorrowin' and I ain't had no happiness since.