You asks me when I's born and was I born a slave. Well, I's born on July 17, 1845, so I's a slave for twenty years, and had three massas. I's born in Williamson County, near Menphis, in Tennessee. Masea John Peacock owned de plantation and am it de big one! Dere am a thousand acres and 'bout a thousand slaves. De slave cabins am in rows. twenty in de first row and eighteen in de second and sixteen in de third. Den dere am house servants quarters near de big house. De cabins am logs and not much in dem but honemade tables and benches and bunks 'side de wall. Each family has dere own cabin and sometimes dere am ten or more in de family, no it am kind of crowded. But massa am good and let dem have de family life, and once each week de rations am measure out by a old darky what have charge de com'sary, and dere as allus plenty to eat. But dem eats ain't like nowadays. It am home-cured meat and montly cornmeal, but plenty veg'tables and 'lasses and brown sugar. Massa raised lots of hawgs, what am Barkshirms and Razorbacks. Razorback meat am 'sidered de beat and sweetest. De work stock am eighty head of mules and fifty head of hosses and fifteen yoke of oxen. It took plenty feed for all dem and massa have de big field of corn, far as we could see. De plantation am run on system and everything clean and in order, not like lots of plantations with tools scattered 'round and dirt piles here and there. De chief overseer an white and de second overseers am black. Stien was nigger overseer in de shoemakin' and harness, and Aunty Darkins am overseer of de spinnin' and weavin'. Det place am so well mannage dat whippin's am not nes'sary. Massa have he own way of keepin' de niggers in line. If dey bad he say. 'I 'spect dat nigger driver comin' round tomorrow and I's gwine sell you.' Now, when a nigger git in de hands of de nigger driver it am de big chance he'll git sold to de cruel massa, and dat make de niggers powerful skeert, so dey 'haves. On de next plantation we'd hear de niggers pleadin' when dey's whipped, 'Massa, have mercy,' and sich. Our massa allus say, 'Boys, you hears dat mis'ry and we don't want no sich on dis place and it am up to you.' So us all 'haves ourselves.

When I's four years old I's took to de big house by young Massa Frank , old massa's son. He have me for de errand boy and, I guess, for de plaything. When I gits bigger I's his valet and he like me and I sho' like him. He an kind and smart, too, and am choosed from nineteen other boys to go to England and study at de mil'tary 'cadeny. I's 'bout sight when we starts for liverpool. We goes from Memphis to Newport and takes de boat, Bessie. It an a sailboat and den de fun starts for sho'. It am summer and not much wind and sometimes we jus' stand still day after day in de fog so thick we can't see from one end de boat to de other. I'll never forgit dat trip. When we gits far out on de water. I's dead sho' we'll never git back to land again. First I takes de seasick and dat am something. If there am anything worser it can't be stood! It ain't possible to 'splain it, but I wants to die, and if dey's anything worser dan dat seasick mis'ry. I says de Lawd have mercy on dem. I can't 'lieve dere an so much stuff in one person, but plenty come out of me. I mos' raised de ocean When dat an over I gits homesick and so do Massa Frank . I cries and he tries to 'sole me and den he gits tears in he eyes. We am weeks on dat water, and good old Tenessee am allus on our mind. When we gits to England it am all right, but often we goes down to de wharf and looks over de cotton bales for dat Memphis gin mark. Couple times Massa Frank finds some and he say, 'Here a bale from home, Sam ,' with he voice full of joy like a kid what find some candy. We stands round dat bale and wonders if it am raised on de plantation. But we has de good time after we gits 'quainted and I seed lots and gits to know some West India niggers. But we's ready to come home and when we gits dere it am plenty war. Massa Frank jines de 'federate Army and course I's his valet and goes with him, right over to Camp Carpenter, at Mobile. He am de lieutenant under General Gordon and befo' long dey pushes him higher. Fin'ly he gits notice he an to be a colonel and dat sep'rates us, 'cause he has to go to Floridy. 'I's gwine with you,' I says, for I thinks I 'longe to him and he 'longe to me and can't nothing part us. But he say, 'You can't go with me this time. Dey's gwine put you in de army.' Den I cries and he cries. I's seventeen years old when I puts my hand on de book and an a sojer. I talks to my captain 'bout Massa Frank and wants to go to see him. But it wasn't more'n two weeks after he leaves dat him was kilt. Dat am de awful shock to me and it am a long time befo' I gits over it. I allus feels if I'd been with him maybe I could save his life. My company am moved to Bermingham and builds breastworks. Dey say Gen. Lee am comin' for a battle but he didn't ever come and when I been back to see dem breastworks, dey never been used. We marches north to Lexington, in Kentuck' but am gone befo' de battle to Louisville. We comes back to Salem, in Georgia, but I's never in no big battle, only some skirmishes now and den. He allus fixes for de battles and builds bridges and doesn't fight much. I goes back after de war to Memphis.

My mammy am on de Kilgore place and Massa Kilgore takes her and my pappy and two hundred other slaves and comes to Texas. Dat how I gits here. He settles at de place called Kilgore , and it was named after him, but in 1867 he moves to Cleburne. Befo' we moved to Texas de Klu Kluxers done burn my mammy's house and she lost everything. Dey was 'bout $100 in greenbacks in dat house and a three hundred pound hang in de pen, what die from de heat. We done run to Massa Rodger's house. De riders gits to bad dey come most any time and run de cullud folks off for no cause, jus' to be orn'ry and plunder de home. But one day I seed Massa Rodgers take a dosen guns out his wagon and he and some white men digs a ditch round de cotton field close to de road. Couple nights after dat de riders come and when dey gits near dat ditch a volley am fired and lots of dem draps off dey hosses. Dat ended de Klux trouble in dat section. After I been in Texas a year I jines de Fed'ral Army for de Indian war. I's in de transportation division and drives oxen and mules. haulim' supplies to de forts. We goes to Fort Griffin and Dodge City and Larasie, in Wyoming. Dere am allus two or three hundred sojers with us, to watch for Indian attacks. Dey travels on hosses, 'head, 'side and 'hind de wagon. One day de Sent'nel reports Indians am round so we gits hid in de trees and bresh. On a high ledge off to de west we sees de Indians travelin' north, two abreast. De lieutenant say he counted 'bout seven hundred but dey sho' missed us, or maybe I'd not be here today. I stays in de service for seven years and den goes back to Johnson County, farmin' on de Rodgers place, and stays till I comes to Fort Forth in 1889.

Den I gits into 'nother war, de Spanish 'merican War. But I's in de com'sary work so don't see much fightin'. In all dem wars I sees most no fightin'. 'cause I allus works with de supplies. After dat war I goes to work laborin' for buildin' contractors. I works for sev'ral den gits with Mr. Bardon and larns de cement work with him. He am awful good man to work for, dat John Bardon . Fin'ly I starts my own cement business and am still runnin' it. My health am good and I's allus on de job, 'cause dis home I owns has to be kept up. It cost sev'ral thousand dollars and I can't 'ford to neglect it. I's married twict. I marries Mattie Norman in 1901 and sep'rates in 1904. She could spend more money den two niggers could shovel it in. Den I marries Lottie Young in 1909, but dere am no chillens. I's never dat lucky. I's voted ev'ry 'lection and 'lieves it de duty for ev'ry citisen to vote. Now, I's told you everything from Genesis to Rev'lations, and it de truth, as I 'members it.

Sam Kilgore , 92, 1211 E. Cannon St., Ft. Worth, born a slave to John Peacock of Williams County, Tennessee. Peacock operated one of the largest plantations in the South; he had about a 1000 slaves on a several thousand acre plantation. Sam's father was at a plantation owned by Wm. Kilgore nearby. Shortly prior to the Civil War Sam and his mother were sold to Wm. Kilgore , but Sam was immediately bought by Frank Peacock , a son of John Peacock . At 8 Sam accompanied his master to England as valet for a 3 year stay. During the War Peacock joined the Confederates and took Sam along as valet. Later Sam was mustered into the army and served through the war. After the Civil War Sam joined the Federal Army and served several years in the transportation division. He served in the Spanish-American War and saw service in Cuba and the Philippines Islands. He came to Ft. Worth in 1889 and secured employment as a hod carrier for various contractors and learned to be a cement worker. About 1917 started his own cement contracting business and is still operating (1937). Twice married, he has no children.

Youse ask me de question when Ise bo'n an' was Ise bo'n a slave? Ise bo'n July 17, 1845, so Ise a slave fo' 20 yeahs. Ise had three masters. De place whar Ise bo'n am Williamson County in Ten'see neah Memphis. Marster John Peacock owned de plant'tion whar Ise bo'n. De number of slaves am 'round 1,000; 'twas a big plant'tion. De acres dat de Marster owned am a lot, Ise don't think he knew how much. Ise 'membahs de cabins whar in rows; 'twas 20 in de furst row, 18 in de second, an' 16 in de third row. Dat counts 54 cabins. Den thar whar de house servants qua'ters next to de big house; big house am what weuns call de Marster's residence. De cabins am built f'om logs an' jus' lak de tudder. Thar warnt much in de cabins jus' couple benches, table, fire place an' bunks 'side de wall. Each family had thar own cabin an' does thar own cookin'. De Marster had his cullud fo'ks live as much lak white fo'ks as him can; that is him let dem have de family life. Dey was mai'ied an' sich 'twarnt lak on a lot of de plant'tions. Once each week de rations am measured out by an old darky dat have charge of de commissary. Thar always whar plenty rations given. Den 'twas diffe'ent den now days. Den weuns raised an' fixed everythin' weuns had fo' rations. 'Twarnt so much diffe'ent kinds of food. Fo' instance thar whar no lot of breakfast foods; co'n meal mush am de breakfast food fo' de cullud fo'ks. 'Course de white fo'ks have oatmeal. Anyway weuns always have plenty. 'Twas meat, veg'ables, fruit, co'nmeal an' some white flouah, an' 'lassises, an' brown sugar. Marster raised lots of hawgs, deys whar Birkshiers an' Razorbacks. Raziorback meat am considered de best dem days, 'twas claimed by de Marster dat 'twas sweeter. Ise know him always tuks it fo' de family supply. Thar am lots of cows dat am kept fo' de milk an' buttah supply. De wo'k stock am 80 head of mules, 50 head of hawses, an' 15 yoke of oxen. It tuks lots of co'n an' hay fo' to feed de wo'k stock dat include de niggers so 'twas big field of co'n far as weuns could see. Dat plant'tion am run on system lak a big factory an' it am kep up to date, everythin' am clean an' in ordah. 'Twas not lak lot of de plant'tions wid tools scattered 'round an' dirt piled up heah an' thar. Thar am de chief overseer an' de seconds. De undah overseers am cullud fo'ks, de ones dat am de head of de diffe'ent departments. 'Twas lak dis, Stein was cullud overseer in de shoe makin' department, he am boss of de helpers makin' de harness an' tan de hides too. Aunt Darkins am de cullud overseer dat bosses de spinnin', weavin' an' de makin' of de clothes. Aunt Lou am de one dat tuks de measure an' see what clothes am needed. She gives de measure an' orders to Aunt Darkins . De place am so well managed by de Marster dat whuppin's am not necessary. Ise don't ever 'membahs of one whuppin's even. Marster had a method of keepin' de cullud fo'ks in line. If one of dem do somethin' not right to dem he say:  Don't go to wo'k tommorrow Ise 'spect de nigger drive am a-comin' pass an' Ise gwine to sell youse.  Weuns all skeert 'bout gettin' sold to de nigger driver. Youse see de nigger drive am a nigger trade. Deys go through de country buyin an' sellin' slaves. W'en a slave gets in de hands of a driver 'twas a big chance of him gettin' sold to a cruel Marster an' de cullud fo'ks am powerful skeert 'bout sich.

Den 'twas a plant'tion next to weuns, Ledbetter am de name, who use de whup an' hard. Weuns could heah de cullud fo'ks pleadin', "Marster, oh Marster please have de mercy" and sich. W'ens weuns heah de pleadin' de Marster say to weuns, "Boys youse heah dat misery, weuns don't want any sich on dis place an' tis up to youse." Weuns know how it may be wid some tudder Marster. W'en de Marster call a slave an' say,  Don't go to wo'k 'cause Ise have to sell youse to de nigger drive. Youse den heah de nigger pleadin',  Forgive me Marster, dis time Ise sho wont does it 'gain. Till Ise four yeahs old Ise put in de nursery wid lot of tudder infants. Thar weuns am looked aftah by Old Mandy de head of de nursery. All the infants am put thar while de mammies am at wo'k. Thar whar swings an' games an' sich fo' de 'tainment. W'en Ise four yeahs old Ise tuks to de big house by young Marster Frank Peacock . Him lak me an' he had me fo' de errant boy an' Ise guess a playthin'. After Ise gets bigger Ise his valet. Ise jus' big sensible kid, he lak me an' Ise sho lak him. F'om dat time Ise have a good life as de slave 'cause Ise wid Marster Frank an' he was kind an' smart, too. He am choosen f'om 19 tudder students--'twas some kind of contest--fo' de right to go off to England an' study at a military academy. Ise 'bout 9 yeah old w'en weuns start fo' Liverpool, England. Weuns go f'om Memphis to Newport thar weuns tucks de boat Bessie. It am a sail boat an' den de fun starts fo' weuns. 'Twas in de summer time an' 'twarnt much wind. Thar am times w'en weuns jus' stand still fo' day aftah day in de fog so thick weuns can' see f'om one end of de boat to de tudder. Ise never fo'gets dat trip. W'en weuns gets far out on de wautah Ise dea sho dat weuns never gets back to de lan' 'gain. Ise cry often. Furst Ise tuks de seasick. Dat am somethin'. Dat am de only time Ise sick in my life so Ise don't know much 'bout sick misery but if thar anythin' worser it can't be stood, dat am sho an' Ise say de Lawd have de mercy on dem. 'Taint possible to 'plain it, gosh fo' mighty, Ise want to die. Ise can't believe thar am so much stuff in one person but thar am plenty come out of me. Ise must raised de ocean. W'en de seasick am over den Ise gets homesick, so do Marster Frank. Ise cry an' he tries to console me an' den tears come in his eyes an' he send me to de cabin to get my mind off of home. Several times when he am talkin' to me his voice chock. By de time weuns am gettin' over de homesick den weuns am gettin' sick of de trip 'cause weuns am weeks an' weeks on de wautah. Weuns finally get thar, den weuns feel bettah, but good old Ten'see am always on our mind. Now, Ise tell what weuns do. Marster an' Ise would often go down to de wharf an' look over de cotton bales fo' de Memphis gin mark. Well, couple times Marster Frank finds some he say: Heyah a bale f'om home Sam ", his voice full of joy lak a kid dat find some candy. Weuns stand 'round dat bale lak 'twas some cotton dat am raised on de plant'tion. Weuns have some good times, aftah weuns get 'quainted. Marster Frank tuks me everywhar, an' Ise see lots. Den Ise gets 'quainted wid some West India Cullud Fo'ks, so Ise joy my self while Marster am in school. Weuns stayed thar three yeahs an' den come home. De trip back warnt so bad. 'Twas in de month of Decembah an' thar am plenty of northwind, so it drives de ship fast an' weuns made de trip in half of de time it tuk to go over. Whens weuns come home 'twarnt long till 'twas lots of war talk. Aftah while de war starts an' Marster Frank jines de Confed'rate Army an' Ise 'course, am his valet an' wid him Ise go. Weuns go to Camp Carp enter at Mobile Alabam'. He whar dem a Lieutender undah General Corden . 'Twarnt long till deys push him higher. Finally he gets de notice dat him am to be Colonel an' dat separated weuns. 'T as dis a-way an' him comes to me an' he say: "Ise have de notice to leave come to de tent. Thar whar tears in his eyes. Well, Ise goes to weuns tent an' thar he say: Ise made a Colonel an' have to leave fo' Florida pretty soon. Well, Ise go wid youse", Ise say. Youse see Ise thinks Ise belong to him an' him belong to me an' dat no one can part weuns. Den he say:  No, Youse can't go wid me deys gwine to put youse in de army.  Den Ise cried an' he cried. Ise 17 yeahs old w'en Ise put my han' on de book an' tuk de oath an' den Ise a sojer. Marster Frank stayed thar 'bout two weeks aftah Ise mustered in de army. He am at a tudder place den but Ise still think Ise must be wid him. Ise talk to my Captain an' say, "Ise gwine to Marster Frank's . He say,  Go but 'twarnt long till him am a gwine away so youse bettah get use to it. Youse see de Captain don't to fret me over it too much so he 'llow me to break de rule. W'en Marster Frank go weuns both cried lak babies. Twarnt mo'e den two weeks aftah Marster Frank left until him was killed.

De Yanks surrounded de Confed'rates somehow an' dat am awful shock to me. 'Twas long time befo' Ise gets over it. Ise always feel dat if Ise been wid him Ise could save his life. My company am moved to Bermin'ham, Alabam' thar weuns all am put to wo'k buildin' breastwo'ks. 'Twas by side of de railroad track. Weuns underhstood dat General Robert E. Lee am acomin' thar an' 'pect to fit a battle thar but him never come. Aftahwards Ise back an' see de breastworks, deys never am used. Weuns all destroyed de railroad track, too. F'om Bermin'ham weuns am marched No'th till weuns come to Lexington, Kentuck. Weuns wo'ked fixin' breastworks thar, den weuns all goes to Louisville. Aftah weuns left Lexin'ton thar whar de battle of Lexin'ton fought. Weuns stayed in Louisville while an' den starts back South. Weuns all marched through de country finally weuns come to Salem, Georgia an' thar weun am w'en de wah come to de end. Ise never in a major battle, Ise guess 'Twas luck dat de lawd gives to me. Weuns never had anythin' but skimerishes now an' den. Youse see weuns always fo' to fix fo' de battles an' fix bridges an' sich. So Ise come out wid out a scratch. Wen Ise mustered out of de army Ise go back to Memphis. My mother am on de Kilgore place. Marster Kilgore tuks 'round 200 cullud fo'ks an' moves to Texas. Dat how Ise come to dis State. Marster Kilgore settles at de place dat am now called Killgore . 'Twas named aftah him. Him don't stay thar long, in 1867 weuns all moved to Cleburne. Thar warnt any town thar den an' weuns camped undah de shade of trees w'en weuns gets thar an' dat am de spot whar de Courthouse now stands. Dat lan' was owned by Marster Ben Chambers an' him donated it to de county fo' to build de Courthouse. Marster Chambers built de furst two story house dat am thar, 'twas a log structure. Ise don't stay thar long, 'bout a yeah an' Ise jined de Federal Army dat am engaged in de Indian War.

Ise in de transportation division an' drive de oxen an' mule teams haulin' supplies to de forts. Weuns goes all over de Southwest to Fort Griffen, Dodg' City an' as far as Larmie, Wyoming. What weuns have to watch fo' am de su'prise 'tack by de Indians. Thar am always f'om two to three hundred sojers sides de drivers. Deys am on horse back, deys travel head, side an' 'hind weuns dat am drivin' de supply train. Several times thar am skermishes but weuns never lost any supplies. Thar am jus' once dat weuns am all skeert an' thinks sho weuns am gwine to be in fo' a good trimmin'. Twas up neah Wyoming an' 'twas a hot day, de teams am tired so weuns camped early. Weuns am 'side of a stream an' next to de stream am some scrub timbah den back of de timbah am a clear place. In dat clear place weuns made de camp. Weuns had de animals tethered an' de cooks am 'bout ready to start fixin' suppah. De sentinels am always on duty watchin' fo' 'sprise 'tack f'om ambush. Dat evenin' de sentinel reports Indians am seen in de distant so de ordah am given to fo'm fo' battle an' not to make any noise. Off to de West of weuns 'cross de stream on high ledge 'bout mile 'way an' mile long. Thar on dat ledge passing two 'breast am Indians traveling North. Weuns all watched dem quiet as mice. De officers counted dem. My Lieutender tell me de numbah 'twas 700 in round numbahs. What weuns am 'fraid as always w'en meetin' Indians am dat de big part of dem would fit weuns an' de tudders would sack de supply train. Youse see wid 700 of dem 'twould draw allus to de'fence den 50 or 100 of dem could sack de supplies. Den so soon as deys gets all deys want of dem would retreat. De Indians don't fit in de open or 'tack in de crowd, deys scatter 'round an' hide youse can't see dem but youse gets it f'om all sides. Deys pass out of sight den de officers am sho deys am acomin' in de night so weuns am at 'tention all de night. De daylight comes an' no Indians yet. Den de officers say 'twould be during de day but 'gain weuns am dis'pointed. Dem Indians must sho missed weuns but if deys would have found weuns maybe Ise would not be heyah today. Ise stayed in de service fo' nearly seven yeahs. Aftah Ise quit de army Ise goes back to Johnson County an' goes farmin' on de Rodgers place. Dat am seven miles f'om Cleburne. Thar Ise stay until Ise come to Ft. Worth in 1889. Ise can tell somthin' 'bout de night riders Ku Klux Klan am de right name. Deys burned my mothers house an' she lost everythin'. Deys whar $100.00 in greenbacks in de house an' a 300 pound hawg in de pen dat die f'om de heat. W'en deys come we all run to Marster Rodgers house. De riders gets so bad deys come most any time an' run de cullud fo'ks off fo' no cause but jus' to be o'nery an' to plunder de home. Marster Rodgers had several families on his lan' so do his neighbor, Marster Harris an' lots tudder white fo'ks. It gets so bad de cullud fo'ks am 'fraid to wo'k de lan'. Twas stopped dis way, one day Ise see Marster Rodger's tuks out of his wagon a dozen or mo'e guns. Den Ise see den a diggin' a trench in de cotton field close de road and neah de house. 'Twas de house whar weuns moved to aftah de firah. Thar am wo'd 'round dat de riders am comin' 'gain to weuns place. Couple nights aftah de trench am dug de night riders sho come. Befo' dat Ise don't know what fo' de trench am built but w'en de riders 'ppeared Ise learnt right quick. W'en deys gets neah de house 'twas a volley fired an' 12 white caps draps off de hawses. Bud Harris the neighbors son was one of dem. Ise don't know who did de shootin' but my father warnt home dat night, neither was Marster Rodgers . Dat ended the Klux trubble in dat section. Aftah Ise moved to Ft. Worth Ise gets into a tuddah wah. 'Twas de Spanish-American Wah, Ise jined in 1898. Ise in de commisary wo'k so 'gain Ise don't see much fittin'. Aftah Ise come back f'om de wah Ise goes to wo'k as a common laborer fo' buildin' contractors. Ise wo'k fo' diffe'ent fo'ks. 'Twas Marster Bryce , Gilmaster , Davis an' den fo' de firm of Smith an' Bardon . Ise wo'k fo' Marster Bardon fo' many yeahs till Ise starts my own business 'bout 20 yeahs ago. Ise learnt to be a cement wo'ker an' dat am what Ise do fo' Marster Bardon aftah Ise learnt de wo'k. Marster Bardon lak me an' had lots of confidence in me an' he am awful good man to wo'k fo' so weuns gets long fine. Ise at de last have charge of all de tools an' de materel an' Ise watched de wo'k fo' him to see dat it am done right. Ise joyed my wo'k wid Marster John Bardon . Does youse want to know 'bout my mai'iage too? 'Taint much Ise mai'ied twice. De furst time Ise mai'ied Mattie Norman in 1901 an' weuns separated in 1904. De trubble am 'cause she can spend de money faster dan two niggers can shovel it in. De second mai'iage am to Lottie Young in 1909, she am a Parker County gal. Thar am no chulluns f'om de mai'iages, Ise never dat lucky. Does Ise tuks de trubble to vote. Dat some mo'e youse want to know. Ise voted ever 'lection. Ise believe 'tis de duty fo' every citizen to vote. At 92 Ise still conduct my cement business an' am healthy an' always on de job. Tis necessary fo' me to wo'k, dis home heyah dat Ise own has to be kept up. It cost several thousand dollars an' Ise can't 'ford to neglect it. Now, Ise tol' youse everythin' f'om Genesis to Revelations an' tis de truth as Ise 'membahs it.