De only place I knows 'bout is right here, what was Marse Greenville McNeel's plantation. I was bo'n here an' Marse Greenville an' Mis' Melia what was his wife, was de only ones what I ever belonged to. 'Course after de war, Marse Huntington come down from up North an' took over de overseein' an' owned de plantation after Marse Greenville die, but when de big house burned, it burned up all de papers too, an' I couldn't tell to save my life how old I is, but I was growed up an' worked in de fields befo' I was sot free. My mamma's name was Harriet Jackson , an' she was bo'n on de plantation too, but I don't know so much 'bout my papa. I know his name was Dan , but folks called him 'Good-cheer ,' an' he druv oxen, an' one day when I was little they show me him an' tell me he's my papa, an' so I guess he was. But I can't tell much 'bout him 'cause chillen then didn't know their papas like chillen do now. Most I remembers 'bout them times is work. We was put out in de fields befo' day an' come back after night. Then we had to shell a bushel of cawn befo' we could go to bed, an' then we was so tired we didn't have no time for nothin' an' was glad to get to bed. Bout de only playin' we did when I was a girl was sometimes on Sunday, but we didn't have no real games, jes' run 'round an' play a little, but de white folks wouldn't let de girls go near de boys or play with 'em either. I knowed we sing some but I don't know much 'bout that, 'cause I jes' like to run 'round an' play when I had de chance. I know we dassent sing in de field though, 'cause old man Jerry Driver would beat us for it. Old man Jerry Driver watched us in de fields, an' iffen we don't work hard he whip us an' whip us hard. Old Marse Greenville whip us at de house, but old man Jerry Driver he whip us in de field. Then old man Jerry Driver die, an' 'nother man came named Archer . He say, 'you niggers now, you don' work good I beat you', an' we sho' worked hard then 'cause we was scared 'till we got used to him. Old Marse Greenville treated us pretty good but he never give us nothin'. We jes' work all the time, Christmas an' all. 'Cross there on de other McNeel place they had Christmas but I don't know much 'bout them. We had to get a piece of paper to go over there, 'cause iffen you didn't have a piece of paper for a pass you'd sho' get whipped. Sometime we would run away an' hide in de woods for a spell, but when they cotch us, Marse Greenville would tie us down an' whip us so we don't run away no mo'. We didn't have no clo'es like we do now, jes' cotton lowers an' rubber shoes. They used to feed us peas an' cawn bread an' sometimes hominy, an' sometimes they throw some beef in a pot an' bile it, but we never had no hawg meat that I remembers 'bout. Iffen anyone took sick, old Aunt Becky what was a old nigger woman was de doctor. They was a building what was called the horspital, an' Aunt Becky would get us in there an' give us calomen or portofia an' turpentine, dependin' on what was de matter with us. An' they always kept de babies in de horspital too an' let de mammys come in at dinner an' suckle 'em an' dry 'em up an' go back to de field, then come in at night 'an do de same thing again. When anybody die they jes' teke 'em to de cemetery an' put 'em in a box an' dig a hole an' pitch 'em in. I ain't never seen no Bible at no buryin' in those days. Sometimes on Sunday we have church iffen we steal off an' do it. Old Uncle Parper was de parson, but if Marse Greenville or old man Jerry Driver cotch us they lay you down an' stretch you out an' beat on you. An' you had ter get that row in de field, too, else you got whipped. I never hear much 'bout no war an' Marse Greenville never told us we was free. Fust I knew 'bout bein' sot free was one day we was gwine to de fields, an' a man come ridin' up an' say, 'whar you folks gwine?' An' we say we gwine to de fields, an' then he say to Marse Greenville he say, 'you can't work these people, they as free as you is an' you can't work 'em 'lessen you pay 'em.' Law, we sho shout, young folks an' old folks too. We jes' stay right there, no place to go so we jes' stay, an' we get pay for what work we done then, but we gotta pay for what we gets too. Then I got married after I was sot free. Allen Kelley was de fust husband what I ever owned, an' I live with him 'till he die. Then I marry Houston Edwards an' he the last husband what I owned an' I lived with him till he die too. I had three Kelley chillen but I don't know whar they is at or how many is dead Law me, they used to be a sayin' 'round here that chillen bo'n on de dark of de moon ain't gwinter have no luck, an' I guess I sho was bo'n then.  

Aunt Pinkie Kelly , whese age is a matter of conjesture, bus who says she was "growed up when set free," was born on a plantation in Brassria Co., owned by Greenville McNeal , and still lives on what was a part of the McNeal plantation, in a little cabin which she says is much like the old slave quartere. De only place I knows 'beat is right here, what was Marce Greenville McNeal's plantation, 'cause I's born here and Marse Greenville and Missy Amelia , what was his wife, is de only ones I ever belonged to. After de war, Marse Huntington come down from up north and took over de place when Marse Greenville die, but do big house burned up and all de papers, too, and I oculdn't toll to save my life how old I is, but I's grewed up and worked in de fields befo' I's set free. My mammy's name was Harriet Jackson and she was born on de same plantation. My pappy's name was Dea , but folks called him Good Cheer . He druv oxen and one day they show me him and say he my pappy, and so I gases he was, but I can't tell much about him, 'cause chillen then didn't know their pappys like chillen de new. Meet I 'members 'bout them times is work, 'cause we's put out in de fields befo' day and come back after might. Then we has to shall a bushel of corn befe' we goes to bed and we was so tired we didn't have time for mothin'. Old man Jerry Driver watches us in de fields and iffen we didn't work hard he ship us and whip us hard. Then he die and 'nother man call Archer come. He say. 'You niggers now, you don't work good, I beat you,' and we she' worked hard them. Marce Greenville treated us pretty good but he never give us mothin'. Sometime we'd rea away and hide in de woods for a spoll, but when they cotch as Marse Greenville tie us down and whip us co we don't do it no more. We didn't have no clothan like we do new, jes' cotton levers and rubber shoes. They used to feed us peas and cornbread and honiny, and sometime they threw beans in a pot and bilo it, but we never had hawg most. Iffen we took sick, old Annt Becky was de docter. They was a building like what they calls a hospital and she put us in there and give us calomel or turpentine, pendin' on what ciled us. They allus kop' the babies there and lot do mammies come in and suckle and dry 'em up. I nover heared such 'bout no wat and Marse Greenville never told us we was free.

First I knews was one day we gwine to do fields and a man come ridim' up and say, 'Whar you folks gwino?' We say we gwine to de fields and then he say to Marse Greenville , 'You can't work these people, without no pay, 'cause they's as free as you is.' Law, we sho' shout, young folks and old folks too. But we stay there, no place to go, so we jes' stay, but we gits a little pay. After 'while I marries. Allen Kelley was de first husban' what I ever owned and he die. Houston Edward , he the las' husban' I ever owned and he die, too. Law me, they used to be a sayin' that chillen born on de dark of do noon ain't gwinter have no luck, and I guess I sho' was born then!