Yes sir, I'se had several nickels give to me by my Mistress. When I get to place where I could buy candy I would, as they wouldn't let negro slaves have tobacco that would smoke. We had plenty to eat while we was slaves or during slavery time. The woods was full of possums, rabbits, squirrels, and all the mud holes was full of fish. Was not any trouble to just step out of our quarters and get all the meat that we wanted. I'se sure do like good old fat possum cooked with them potatoes all around that possum. Then I'se likes fish too, but her never had flour dough. They didn't know what biscuits was and our meat we cooked it different way, sometime we put it in old time pot and hanged it over the fireplace, and then other times we would cook it on a forked stick what they called roasted meat. All the bread we had was cornbread. The corn grated by hand. We make what they calls water pone cooked in the ashes. Sometimes we make bread and cook it in old time lid and skillet on the fireplace by coals of fire all over the lid. No sir, the slaves never had gardens they call their own. Master he would have big garden, and he would give the slaves what he wanted them to have. Course we had to work that there garden. We had royal clothes. When it was made it was long shirt come down some below our knees, opened all the way down the front. On Sunday we had white royal shirt. That's what he had in hot weather. In cold weather we wore wool clothes. No sir, no shoes-when it was real cold we wrap our feet in wool rags soe's they wouldn't freeze. My wedding clothes they was royal breeches and they was plum white, but son

I'se never married until after freedom. Master he wouldn't let me have the womans that I wanted. Cause he had 3 womens that I wanted to marry during slavery time. No sir, see's I'se did not marry then I'se waits after the war between the States before I'se married. Mastor Felix Jones , he was reals hard on his slaves cause he whipped them. He put them in chains and locked them in jail. If they wanted to get real stubborn, but Mistress Janie , she was real good womans to her black folks 'cause the slave would sure enough caught hell if it hadn't been for Mistress. They were young white folks. I'se remember when their little white curly headed Janie was born. She just loved this old black negro. I'se carried her on my back whole days at a time. That was the sweetest baby that ever was born, yes sir, that was. Mastor, he lived in big house built out rock. He had 4 rooms in that house. Yes sir, it had lots shade trees all around that house. Mastor, he have 80 acres in that there tobacco farm, and planted all in tobacco, 'cept what he planted in garden. He have about 18 grown slaves and about 30 young slave. That there overseer, he was real mean white man. Some of the slaves he have it in for, yes sir. He wake the slave at 4:oclock every morning. One day he comes to the field and rode by where one negro was hoeing that tobacco, and he began to whip that negro 'caused him to drop his hoe. That overseer he just keep on whipping that negro, and finally that negro he grab this white overseer and cut that white man's breath off and he started hollering. Mistress, she heard that man hollering and she comes running out with some hot water and throwed all over that negro, and he turned the overseer loose. Then Mastor, he whipped that negro unmercifully, and put him in chains. He had to wear them everyday for one whole year, and every night he would put him in jail for a year. He would not let him out to even see his folks or his wife for over a solid year.

Yes, I'se seen a few slaves sold to the highest bidder. They would make the slaves clean up good and clean then grease their hands and face so'es they would look real fat, and then they would make them trot to and fro in front of the bidders, and the men would bid on them. Son, you seen horses auctioned off, that is the way they did the negro. And all the hollering and bawling- it would take place a money. Of course, there was not very many negroes that knew who their parents or their children was. They wouldn't let them so's they wouldn't become attached to each other. They traveled on foot and their Mastor he would be behind them on a horse. You have drove cattle to a pasture or market haven't you? That is the way they use to make the slaves travel. Yes sir, I'se seen them in chains. I'se seen several chained to a tree and whipped and let stay all night in the cold cause they would get stubborn. I'se been lucky because Mastor never did whip or chain me. O'course I'se knew to behave if I'se didn't Mastor he would whip or chain me. No sir, I'se can't read or write. Mastor he let us try to learn but I'se never could learn anything 'bout reading or writing. No sir, they was not slave churches except white folks. Mastor he didn't care anything about church, but he made us go to church once a month. Mistress, she calls us all to her back door and reads some bible to us every Sunday morning. She was always talking 'bout that little baby that was born in the horse trough, and she was always telling us to tell the truth all the time and that negro he would hardly ever get in trouble if he always tell the truth. I'se sure believes her too, 'cause this here negro he got friend among the white people to this day. I'se never been baptized yet, Mistor. No sir, them slaves from the north they always trying to run to the south 'cause they said the south was better to the negroes than the north, but Lord Mister, if'ten they had come to the south during slavery time they would have hung the negro. They had to have a pass before they could go from one plantation to another. If they didn't have a pass the Patter Rollers would get negro, but them there Patter Rollers was hard on the negro during slavery time. I'se seen them catch negro slipping off without pass and them Patter Roller they would get hold that negro and they would beat him up scandelous. Boss, it was the best for the slave to always have pass before he tried to go anywhere that he was not supposed to go without pass. I'se generally goes to bed when I'se goes to my quarters 'cause I'se be so tired except Saturday night. Mastor, he would give Saturday evening off so'es we could clean up and be able to dance. Mastor he would let the slaves have dance every Saturday night. The Bango pickers and the tin pan beating and negro dance.

On Sunday when Mastor wouldn't make them go to church the negro they would get together and talk about freedom when they lived in Africa. And Boss, every holiday Mastor would give us good dinner and that was all. When negro die Mastor he would make box and put this negro in then he would let all the rest of the negroes on that plantation go dig his grave, and help carry that negro there and put him in his grave and cover it over. Then he wouldn't make us work no more on that day We played hide and seek and Wolf over the River and then we would get up on high hill and slide down that hill. Then that there Ghost, I'se seen lots of them. Boss I seen man walk all over our yards without any arm or head in plum broad open day light. Then I'se seen one one night when I'se 'sleep- look just like a girl with wings. Didn't have no clothes on. When I'se see them before they will let me alone. I'se tore out to some white man, then that there ghost they will leave me. One time some animal scare me. One time when I'se first comes to Texas I'se cut logs, and builds me a house on this here very place where I'se now live. I was washing clothes for my wife when I would come in out the door something would nearly knock my hat off, but I never paid no attention to it, but when I gets nearly thru washing I starts in at the door and something hit at my hat and knock me plum back on the ground flat of my back. Then I sees what it was. It was one of these here Panters just about grown. Boss, I grab the battling stick that we use to punch the clothes with and killed that panter just as dead as a markel. Then that very night I was just about ready to skin that panther and all at once I heard some music, the sweetest I ever heard. I stop plum still and listen then it finally comes right over me, and just keep playing, Nearer My God to Thee- with the sweetest juice harp you ever heard. It just keep playing for 'bout 30 minutes, then finally goes higher and higher until I couldn't hear it at all. I goes on in the house and asked Govie , that is my wife, if she heard it and she said yes, but she thought it was me. Then that music it come ever week on that very night, Boss I could heard that music until I tore down that old house and builds one, then it quit coming. I'se sure was glad 'cause I'se scared of that music. I thought all time that was that there Babe in the Manger that Mistress told me about coming after me. Mastor he looked after us when we become sick. He could not afford to let us die, 'cause we were to valuable. He would always have Doctor come to look after us. He would come and poke us full of medicine. We used rabbits foot for good luck. If we had rabbits foot tied around our neck we always had good luck. Then we always go to the woods and get herbs to make different kinds of tea for cough. There is a weed called rabbit foot that we mixed and boiled with sasfras and makes the best cough syrup. Then there is cami weed roots for feber, chills. When this was boiled down to a tea it was worse than calomel.

I'se worked for Mastor 3 or 4 years after the war cause he forced me to. Said he couldn't afford to let me go as the war it had ruined his place- burned all the fences. He never had nothing left but his house and it would have burned if it hadn't been built out of rocks. That there war it sure was terrible. I'se seen lots of people killed in it. Mastor, he was in that war and I'se stay home, but there was a battle fought on Mastor' place. Then I had to take Mistress to the mountains in a hide out until the war was over to where her father lived, 'cause them there bullets were flying everywhere. When the war was over Mastor he comes home and tell you - you Son-of-a-Gun you supposed to be free, but you are not because I am not going to give you freedom. Then, Boss, I'se goes on to work for him just like the war never had been fought until I'se gets a chance to steal a horse from Mastor, and Govie she decided to come with me to Texas. I'se and Govie , we rode that horse most 100 miles then we turned him loose and give him a scare back toward his house then we'se come on a foot toward Texas. All we had to eat along the way was what we could beg, and a course we went sometimes 3 days at a time without a bite to eat. Sometimes we could pick a few berries. When got cold we would crawl in a brush pile and hug up close together to try to keep warm. Once and awhile we would come to a farm house and the man would let us sleep in his barn on the cotton seed, but they was far and few between. There wasn't very many houses in the country them days not near like they are now. I'se marry Govie Jones .

She had same name I did, cause she was owned by the same Mastor. All they was to our wedding was we just agreed to live together as man and wife. Then we left our native state. We have 5 children, 3 boys and 2 girls. They are all farming here close to me on some land that I settled on when we got to Texas. They was not very much timber in this county then. We cut some trees and split them open, stood them on end and let them come together at the top for our house. Then we deadened some trees and our land was ready to farm. They was the only thing we had to guard our crops against the deer. There was some few wild cattle and hogs, that was the way we got our start. Caught some of them when they were pigs and calves, then we tamed them. I don't know as I expected anything from freedom except thought the Government ought to fix us some houses and let us have clothes, something to go in our houses, soe's we could get out them and make a living instead of that they turned us out like a bunch of stray dogs. No homes, no clothes, no nothing. Not even enough food to last us one meal. They forced our Mastors to turn us loose without even a job. Of course they never even give us enough clothes to hide our nakedness. Well, yes, Mastor he forced me to stay on with him as slave for most 3 years. Then I runs off and comes to Texas. I'se farm here in Texas after the war. After I settled on this here farm I never seen man or woman - except Govie , 5 or 6 years, cause it was long ways to where they was house of people. All we had to farm with was sharpened sticks. We stick hole and plant our corn in the ground and when it come up we would take stick and punch up the dirt arount it. We never planted cotton, because we could not eat this. I made bow and arrows to kill our meat out of grape vines. We never come to store for nothing. We used skins of animals that we killed to make our clothes out of.

No sir, the KKK never bothered this here negro because I did not try to give them cause to. Did not try to vote nor anything. I does believe that the negro ought to be given more privileges in voting because they went through the reconstruction period with banners flying. Little did I dream that the negro would go as far as they have in education or could hold jobs like they can in this day. Although the old slave negro he has been the backbone of the negro race because they were under the white man's control so long they had the truth instilled into them although they could neither read or write all the old slave negroes knew was to work and tell the truth all the time. Then the negro he has to pay taxes, Dr. bills, public schools to support. Well, he has to shoulder about the same load that the white man of this day has then he is limited in helping choose his official to administer these laws here in Texas. Of course, he is allowed to vote for the President and that is about all. All I ever did was to farm after I run from my Mastor after the Civil War and I gets the rent of my little place here, doesn't receive any pension. They tell me that I have too much land. I has pretty good living. Chickens, hogs, and I have yearling or two to sell every year. Of course, I think I ought to get some of that pension. I'se have to help pay for it Mister, then they won't let me have no pension. Of course, I get by but the young negro they do pretty good but they never would stand what the old negro has cause they not any count. I don't like the way they does. They will not tell the truth, and that I does not like much. Of course, I believes if times were better these here young negroes would do much better. I'se believes if this here relief never had come to this country we would be lots better off, because the young negro thinks they don't have to work cause they say the Government will feed and clothe them and I don't thinks that is right. Boss I'se don't believe when this here Government quits feeding these here young negroes they will be a bit account. They will be too lazy for anything. Boss I'se wish this President would quit all this here business cause we had worse times then that is now.

Toby Jones was born in South Carolina, in 1850, a slave of Felix Jones , who owned a large tobacco plantation. Toby has farmed in Madisonville, Texas, since 1869, and still supports himself, though his age makes it hard for him to work. My father's name was Eli Jones and mammy's name-was Jessie . They was captured in Africa and brought to this country whilst they was still young folks, and my father was purty hard to realize he was a slave, 'cause he done what he wanted back in Africa. Our owner was Massa Felix Jones and he had lots of tobacco planted. He was real hard on us slaves and whipped us, but Missie Janie , she was a real good woman to her black folks. I 'members when their li'l curlyheaded Janie was borned. She jus' loved this old, black nigger and I carried her on my back whole days at a time. She was the sweetes' baby ever borned. Massa, he lived in a big, rock house with four rooms and lots of shade tress, and had 'bout fifty slaves. Our livin' quarters wasn't bad. They was rock, too, and beds built in the corners, with straw moss to sleep on. We had plenty to eat, 'cause the woods was full of possum and rabbits and all the mud holes full of fish. I sho' likes a good, old, fat possum cooked with sweet 'taters round him. We cooked meat in a old-time pot over the fireplace or on a forked stick. We grated corn by hand for cornbread and made waterpone in the ashes. I was borned 'bout 1850, so I was plenty old to 'member lots 'bout slave times. I 'members the loyal clothes, a long shirt what come down below our knees, opened all the way down the front. On Sunday we had white loyal shirts, but no shoes and when it was real cold we'd wrap our feet in wool rags so they wouldn't freese. I married after freedom and had white loyel breeches. I wouldn't marry 'fore that. 'cause massa wouldn't let me have the woman I wanted. The overseer was a mean white man and one day he starts to whip a nigger what am hoein' tobacco, and he whipped him so hard that nigger grabs him and made him holler. Missie come out and made them turn loose and massa whipped that nigger and put him in chains for a whole year. Every night he had to be in jail and couldn't see his folks for that whole year.

I seed slaves sold, and they'd make them clean up good and grease their hands and face, so they'd look real fat, and sell them off. Of course, most the niggers didn't know their parents or what chillen was theirs. The white folks didn't want them to git 'tached to each other. "Missie read some Bible to us every Sunday mornin' and taught us to do right and tell the truth. But some them niggers would go off without a pass and the patterrollers would beat them up scand'lous. "The fun was on Saturday night when massa 'lowed us to dance. There was lots of banjo pickin' and tin pan beatin' and dancin', and everybody would talk 'bout when they lived in Africa and done what they wanted. "I worked for massa 'bout four years after freedom, 'cause he forced as to, said he couldn't 'ford to let me go. His place was near ruint, the fences burnt and the house would have been but it was rock. There was a battle fought near his place and I taken missie to a hideout in the mountains to where her father was, 'cause there was bullets flyin' everywhere When the war was over, massa come home and says, 'You son of a gun, you's sposed to be free, but you ain't. 'cause I ain't gwine give you freedom.' So, I goes on workin' for him till I gits the chance to steal a hose from him. The woman I wanted to marry. Govie , she 'cides to come to Texas with me. Me and Govie , we rides that hosse most a hundred miles, then we turned him a-loose and give him a ascare back to his house, and come on foot the rest the way to Texas. All we had to cat was what we could beg and sometimes we went three days without a bite to eat. Sometimes we'd pick a few barries. When we got cold we'd crawl in a breshpile and hug up close together to keep warm. Once in awhile we'd come to a farmhouse and the man let us sleep on cottonseed in his barn, but they was far and few between, 'cause they wasn't many houses in the country them days like now. When we gits to Texas we gits married, but all they was to our weddin' am we jus' 'grees to live together as man and wife. I settled on some land and we cut some trees and split them open and stood them on end with the tops together for our house. Then we deadened some trees and the land was ready to farm. There was some wild cattle and hawgs and that's the way we got our start, caught some of them and tamed them. I don't know as I 'spected nothin' from freedom, but they turned us out like a bunch of stray dogs. no homes, no clothin'. no nothin'. not 'nough food to last us onemeal. After we settles on that place. I never seed man or woman, 'cept Govie , for six years. 'cause it was a long ways to anywhere. All we had to farm with was sharp sticks. We'd stick holes and plant corn and when it come up we'd punch up the dirt round it. We didn't plant cotton, 'cause we couldn't eat that. I made bows and arrows to kill wild game with and we never went to a store for nothin'. We made our clothes out of animal skins. We used rabbit foots for good luck, tied round our necks. We'd make medicine out of wood herbs. There is a rabbit foot weed that we mixed with sassafras and made good cough syrup. Then there is cami weed for chills and fever. All I ever did was to farm and I made a livin'. I still makes one, though I'm purty old now and its hard for me to keep the work up. I has some chickens and hawgs and a yearling or two to sell every year.