I was growed and had one child at surrender, and my mother told me I was a woman of my own when Old Missie not us free, jus' after surrender, so you can figurate my age from that. My first child was borned the January befo' surrender in June, and I 'nembers hosing in the field befo' the war come on. Massa William raised lots of cotton and corn and tobacco and most everything we et. I never worked in the field, 'cept to chase the calves in, till I was most growed. Massa was good to us. Course, I never went to school, but Old Missie sent my brother, Alex , two years after the war, with her own chillen. I was married durin' the war and it was at church, with a white preacher. Old Missie give me the cloth and dye for my weddin' dress and my mother spun and dyed the cloth, and I made it. It was homespun but nothin' cheap 'bout it for them days. After the weddin' massa give us a big dinner and we had a time. Massa done all the bossin' his own self. He never whipped me, but Old Missie had to switch me a little for piddlin' round, 'stead of doin' what she said. Every Sat'day night we had a candy pullin' and played games, and allus had plenty of clothes and shoes. I seed the soldiers comin' and gwine to the war, and 'members when Massa William left to go fight for the South. His boy, Billie , was sixteen, and tended the place while massa's away. Massa done say he'd let the niggers go without fightin'. He didn't think war was right, but he had to go. He 'serts and comes home befo' the war gits goin' good and the soldiers come after his. He run off to the bottoms, but they was on hosses and overtook him. I was there in the room when they brung him back. One of them says, 'Jackson , we ain't gwine take you with us now, but we'll fix you so you can't run off till we git back.' They put red pepper in his syee and left. Missie cried. They come back for him in a day or two and made my father saddle up Hawk-eye, massa' best hoss. Then they rode away and we never seed massa 'gain. One day my brother, Alex , hollers out, 'Oh, Missie, yonder is the hoss, at the gate, and ain't nobody ridin' him.' Missie throwed up her hands and says. 'O, Lawdy, my husban' am dead!' She knowed somehow when he left he wasn't comin' back. Old Missie frood us but said we had a home as long as she did. Me and my husban' stays 'bout a year, but my folks stays till she marries 'gain. My brother-in-law, Sam Pitman , tells us how he put one by the Kluxers. Him and some niggers was out one night and the Kluxers chases than on hosses. They run down a narrow road and tied four strands of grapevine 'cross the road, 'bout breast high to a hoss. The Kluxers come gallopin' down that road and when the hosses hit that grapevine, it throwed them every which way and broke some their arms. Sam used to laugh and tell how them Kluxers cussed them niggers. He and my husban' come to Marshil the year after surrender, and I is lived here every since. My man works on farms till he got on the railroad. I's been married four times and raised six chillen. The young people is diff'rent from what we was, but diff'rent times calls for diff'rent ways, I 'spect. My chillen cllus done the best they could by me.

Nancy King , an aged Negro woman of Marshall was born in 1844, in what is now Upshur County, Texas, as a slave of William Jackson . Nancy was married and had one child at Emancipation. She and her husband left the Jackson's in 1866, moving to Marshall, where she still resides. Nancy has been married four times and reared six children to be grown. She now lives with Lucy Staples , a married daughter, in Gregg Addition and received a $9.00 per month old age pension.

I was bo'n and raised in Upshur County on William Jackson's place, twelve miles east of Gilmer. I don't know just how old I is, but I was grown, married and had one child at surrender. My mother told me I was a woman of my own when Mistress sot (set) us free. That was just after surrender, so you can "figurate" my age from that. My first child was bo'n in January 'fore surrender in June. I 'members hoeing and working in the fiel' 'fore the war come on. I was married at church two miles off the place by a white preacher. My Mistress give me the cloth and dye for my wedding dress. My mother weaved and dyed the cloth, and I made my own dress. It was home spun, but warn't anything cheap 'bout it. It was a fine dress for them days. After the wedding, my Master give us a big dinner there on the place and we had a time. We didn't dance, cause I never danced a foot in my life. My Mistress was religious and didn't 'low dancing on the place. She give the girls a candy pulling on Saturday night, and we played games. Master William had a right big place, but few slaves. My father's family was all the hands he had. He didn't have no overseer or Driver. He done all the bossing his self,

I'se never been whipped by a slave. My Master and Mistress done all the whipping. They didn't disfigure their darkies like some of the owners. We was allus whipped standing up. Master William never whipped me, but Mistress put it on me lots of times for piddling round stead of doing what she say do. I never went to school in my life, but I used to take dinner to school to Mistress' chil'ren. My brother, Alex , had two years of schooling after the war. Mistress sent him with her chil'ren. Master William raised lots of cotton and co'n and tobacco. Most everything we et was raised on the place. My mother said that we was "Pure" slaves, and old Master and Mistress was good to us and led us up to be honest and religious. I 'fessed religion when I was quite a young girl, and has been living by it ever since.  We allus had plenty of clothes and shoes. I didn't like them brogan shoes. They was devilish things to wear. I never worked in the fiel', only to chase the calves in, till I was most a grown woman. Then I worked in the house and the fiel' too. I'se weaved many yard of cloth, and was seamstress for Mistress. Dr. Taylor's wife, here in Marshall, was my young Mistress. I help nuss (nurse) her and played with her and Mistress' other chil'ren many a day. It's been so long I most forgot the games we played. I know there was "stealing sticks", "hiding switches", and "Ellen Yard, Seven Stars.  I 'members seeing the soldiers coming and gwying (going) to the war. I 'members when Master William left to go fight for the South. His boy, little "Billie ", was 'bout sixteen years old when he left, and tended to the farm while Master William was away. I knowed that they was fighting to free the darkies. I heard that from Master telling Mistress that he'd set his slaves free without fighting. He didn't think war was right, but had to go. He deserted and come home 'fore the war had got gwying good. I 'members when the soldiers come after him. He was watching for them and run off to the bottoms, but they was on hosses and overtook him. I was there in the room when they got back to the house with him. The General man of the soldiers say, "Jackson , we ain't gwying to take you now, but we is gwying to fix you so you can't see to run off till we get back". They put red pepper in his eyes and left. Mistress cried all the time they was gone. They come back for him in a day or two and made my father saddle up "Black Hawk", his best hoss (horse) for him. Then they rode away and we never seed him agin (again). I was there in the room with Mistress when my brother, Alex , come and hollered, "Oh, Missus, yonder is "Black Hawk" at the gate and ain't nobody ridin' him". Mistress throwed up her hands and say, "Oh, Lordy, my husband is dead". She knowed somehow when he left he warn't coming back. After surrender, Mistress told us we was free to go if we wanted to, but had a home as long as she had a home. Me and my husband stayed with her 'bout a year, but my fo'ks stayed till she married agin. (again). I'll say, I'se seed the Ku Klux. They was everywhere. I'se heard my brother-in-law, Sam Pitman , tell 'bout how he put one by the Ku Kluxers. Him and some more Niggers was out one night and the Ku Kluxers got after them and chased them on horses. They run down a narrow road and tied four strands of grape vine across the road, 'bout breast high to a hoss (horse) and then hid off in the bushes. The Ku Klux come galloping down the road, and when the hosses run into the grapevine, it throwed them every which way and broke some of their arms. Sam used to laugh and tell how them Ku Klux cussed him and the other Niggers. Me and my husband come to Marshall a year after surrender, and I is lived here ever since. My man worked round on farms till the railroads come through, then he railroaded till he died. I'se been married four times and raised six chil'ren of my own, and four for my third husband. I 'members when they had Progoe law here. There was more Niggers than white people. I'se heard my first husband say that what the Progoe Marshal said was the gospel. I'se heard the men fo'ks speak of the stir-up at election, but the wimmen didn't meddle with politics then like they do now. I think the young race of our people is alright. They is got ways different from what I was used to when I was a girl. I come up in a different generation. Different generations calls for different ways I spect. My grandchildren know more now when they start to school than I knowed when I was a grown woman. My chil'ren is allus done the best they could by me, so that's why I say I think the young race is alright.