He live in a two-story house builded out of lumber and all 'round in de yard was de quarters. Dey make out of logs and most has a little patch de massa 'lows 'em, and what day raise day own. My daddy raise cotton each year and he raise sweet 'taters and bank 'em. Dey has Georgia hosses in de quarters. Dey was dem bed places what de niggers slep' em. Dey bores holes in de wall of de house and makes do frame of do bad and puts cotton mattress and quilt en dem. De white folks have house make bedsteads, too. De first bought bed I see was a plumb 'stonishment to se. It have big poaties to hang 'akester ber over. De chairs was homemake too, with de white ask splits for de bottoms. Massa he didn't go to do was. but he sent he oldest boy call John . He takes my daddy 'long to feed do stock and like dat. I goes to de camp once to see my daddy and stays a good while. Day firin' to fight de Yankee and dey rest and sat and talk. Day shoot at do rifle ring and dey make des practice all dey got to know to be good soldier. "When freedom come 'long. massa lins us all up by de gallery and say. 'You is you own women and men. You is free. Iffen you wants to stay. I gives you land and a team and groceries.' My daddy stays. I marry long time after freedom and raise' two batch of chillen. My first wife have eight and my second wife have also. I 'members de story 'bout de man what owned de monkey. Dat monkey, he watch and try do everything a man do. One time a nigger make up he mind scare 'nother nigger and when night time come, he put a white sheet over him and set out for de place dat nigger pass. De monkey he seed dat nigger with de sheet and he grab de nice, white tablecloth and throw it over him and he follow de nigger. Dat nigger, he hear something behin' him and look 'round and see somethin' white followin' him and he think it a real ghostie. Den he took out and run fifteen to kill hissel'f. De monkey he took out after dat nigger and when he fall 'zausted in he doorway he find out dat a monkey chasin' him, and he want to kill dat monkey, but he can't do dat, 'cause do monkey de massa's pet.   So one day dat nigger shavin' and de monkey watchin' him. He know right den de monkey try de same thing, so when he gits through shavin' he turn de razor quick in he hand, so de monkey ain't seein' him and draw de back of de razor quick 'cross he throat. Sho' 'nough. when he gone, de monkey git de brush and rub de lather all ever he face and de nigger he watchin' through de crack. When dat monkey through shavin' he draw de razor quick 'cross he throat, but he ain't know for to turn it, and he cut he own threat and kill hissel'f. Dat what de nigger want him to do and he feel satisfy dat de monkey done dead and be have he revengence.

Heavy features accented by a broad flat nose, expressive bright blue eyes, light skin and rather thin lips, Nap McQueen , 80, is a convincing and eager talker. While seated on a neighbor's doorstep at Woodville, Nap describes at length, his recollections of slavery days and the period of the Reconstruction. Pioneer experiences with his owners, the McQueens , of Tennessee and Texas, afford the basis for most of these tales. An unusual characteristic of the old darky is a constant, deep chuckle which shakes his whole stocky body with merriment

I was bo'n in Tennessee. Dey brought me 'way from dere w'en I's on'y a li'l chile. My mudder say I's jis' a li'l pas' eight year' ol' gwine on nine. My daddy was name' Bill McQueen 'n' my mudder' name' was Neelie . One 'r' my gran'mommer's was Sally 'n' d' uder was name Maria . Her husban' was name Henry Bean . I was gittin' t' be purty good size' boy 'bout dat time. I was big 'nuf t' foller in d' fiel' 'n' watch d' gap 'n' keep out d' stock 'n' t'ings w'at wanter git in. Sometime' dey mek me run 'long hin' (behind) d' wagon 'n' pull d' co'n on d' down row.  We come from Tennessee in d' fall. We lead in wagons 'n' w'en we come t' a good place t' camp 'bout den 'r' d' day, why dere's w'er we was camp fo' d' night. Iffen d' wedder was bad sometime' us stay in camp at dat one place fo' a whole week.  My marster hab t'ree cook women. Dey was my two gramma' 'n' my mudder. D' dinin' room was right by d' kitchen. My marster he say, 'Treat 'em good 'n' clo's (clothe) 'em good. He gib d' culled people pass' long's dey want it. I wouldn' a knowed it been slav'ry iffen dey hadn' a tol' me so. I was treat' so good. D' w'ite missus she kep all d' li'l ones w'ile d' ol' ones wuk in d' fiel'  "I uster wanter mek a pallet 'n' lay down. Lots 'r' time I pull d' quilt offer ol' missus' bed fo' t' mek d' pallet. Mudder she wanter whip me. I run 'roun' be'hin' missus 'n' wrop 'er skirt 'roun' me to keep mudder from spank' me. Missus tek up fo' me. She tell my mudder, 'Don' you fo' t' whip dat chile. He jis' li'l 'n' don' know no bettah. But I did know bettah do' (though) but I didn' let on I did. "Dey hab a big sleepin' quarters 'r' house 't tek care 'r' d' chillen w'en dey pappys 'n' mammys was in d' fiel' wukkin'. My mudder 'n' daddy went t' chu'ch. Dey didn' tek us chillen. Dey lef' us in d' sleepin' house. W'en we fus' come t' Texas dey rent a place at Peach Tree 'n' mek crop dere fo' t'ree year'. Den dey buy a big black lan' farm. W'en marster die dey bury him at Peach Tree village. He die right atter freedom come 'long  W'en freedom come 'long marster tol' all d' culled folks at d' supper table, 'Be yere in d' mawnin' 'n' line up in d' yard.' W'en us git t'roo bre'kfas' us line up by d' po'ch (porch) 'n' he say, 'D' main t'ing I got t' say is dis, you is yo' own wimmin 'n' men. You is free. Iffen any 'r' you wanter stay wid me you kin stay. I let you hab lan' 'n' a team 'n' fu'nish you groceries.' My daddy stay. He hab a good big fiel' 'r' black lan' farm tween yere 'n' Chester. Ol' marster he die not long atter freedom. Las' time ol' missus marry she marry Mister Barclay . D' farm was big but not so tre-men-uously big. Dey was some 12 'r' 15 men 'n' all 'r' dem hab wfe 'n' famblies 'ceptn' my gramma. Her husban' been dead 'n' she was a widder women. All 'r' dem been marry back in d' ol' state befo' dey come yere t' Texas. Lawyer Lowe yere in town he daddy come from up dere. He daddy know mo' 'bout it dan I does. Marster he didn' go t' d' war but he sont he ol'es' boy, John . He went 'n' tuk my daddy 'long fo' t' feed d' stock 'n' keep d' barn clean out. I wanter go so dey 'low (allow) me t' go ober dere 'n' see my daddy. I stay ober dere in d' camp a good w'ile wid my daddy. Dat was w'en dey was fixin' t' fight d' Yankee. Dey lay up 'n' res' 'n' eat 'n' talk. Dey hab a place in d' camp w'at dey call d' rifle ring. Dey shoot at t'ings dere. Dey do uder t'ings dere too. Dey see how far dey kin jump back 'n' how quick dey kin tu'n (turn) 'roun'. Dey mek dem tek a sack wid some 50 'r' 60 poun's in it 'n' see how fur d' kin' carry it. Dey got t' tote a canteen wid water in it too all d' same time. Some 'r' dem carry it fo' fo' (four) 'r' five mile'. Dey mek dem duck down 'n' rise up 'n' see how quick dey could lay down 'n' git up. Dey mek dem practice all dem t'ings dey got t' know how t' be good sojers. Dey was 'Federate (Confederate) sojers.

Dey war'n' (was not) no fightin' 'round' yere. I hear dem talk 'bout seein' smoke. You couldn' hear no big gun 'roun' 'bout yere. Dey didn' hab but 'bout t'ree li'l battle 'roun' yere 'n' I ain' seed none 'r' dem. Marse John , dat was my young marster, he pick me up 'n' jump me up 'n' down 'n' ax me is I wanter hab a gun. I tell him 'Yessir' 'n' he laf'. D' w'ite folks allus like t' hab fun outen dey niggers. D' marster he allus treat us good. He ain' 'low nobudy t' whip he niggers. He son John was he daddy oberseer, but d' ol' marster wouldn' 'low eben him t' whip d' slaves. Ol' marster do dat hisse'f iffen it got t' be done. He whip my daddy onct. Dey sont him 'n' t'ree uders out t' haul in some t'ings. Dey caught a drop on John . Dey pull off dey clo's 'n' went in t' ketchin' swimp (shrimp) 'n' mulligans. D' marster fin' out 'n' gib dem all a whippin' fo' dat. D' ol' man say dat broke d' ol' dog from suckin' eggs right dere. Ol' marster neber whip dem outer reason 'n' neber draw blood. Some 'r' d' marsters whip dem unmerciful 'n' gash up dey niggers. Some 'r' dem on d' plantations 'roun' say dey ain' want none 'r' McQueen's niggers come 'roun' dey place 'r' dey niggers, cause dey's free. Dose folk don' want dey niggers know w'at free like. McQueen feed he niggers too good 'n' dey 'fraid it mek dey slaves unsatisfy'. Dey uster talk lots 'bout d' niggers steal. Ol' marster McQueen he say d' reason dey steal dey ain' feed dem 'nuf. He say, 'Feed dem darky good 'n' dey won' (won't) steal. Dey mek all d' clo's on d' place. Mek dem outer jeans 'n' duckin'. Dey hab wuk clo's 'n' uder kin' 'r' clo's fo' Sunday. Dey allus gib dem Sattidy 'n' Sunday 'n' sometime dey knock off Friday at dinner. He gib dem pass' t' go fishin' lots 'r' time. Sometime dey hab preachin' in a li'l house in d' quarters. In warm wedder dey hab preachin' under a arbor. Dey was sev'rl culled preacher' 'roun' yere. Ol' man Chavin Bradford 'n' George Durden was culled preacher w'at preach all t'roo (through) dat country in slav'ry time. I 'member I's a chile but I sot 'n' lissen' at dem many a time. Anuder preacher was Jeffrey Mayo . Dat mek d' t'ree dat I uster know pussonally. My mudder was d' cook 'n' didn' put in much time t' teach d' kids. D' w'ite folks say I got d' bes' mudder wit (mother wit) 'r' any human yere. I uster d' hog raisin' bus'ness. I 'ten' t' Lawyer Mooney farm' atter freedom. W'en d' hog buyers come, Lawyer Mooney he say he sen' out fo' d' ol' man--dat me. I tell dem w'at dey want. Dey ax me how many hogs one year 'r' two year 'r' anyt'ing else dey wanter know. I tell dem. He knowed I tell dem right. I eben tell dem w'at sows gwinter hab sucklings 'n' ev'ryt'ing. I tell dem same way 'bout 'taters, iffen dey hab a carload 'r' ha'f a carload 'r' how much in d' groun'. W'en us move marster rent a big two story house wid a big upstair'. Grampa hab a pet b'ar. Dey uster keep d' syrup up dere in a bahr'l. One time d' cook go up dere fo' t' git some syrup. D' b'ar see her pull d' pin outn' d' bahr'l. You know how b'ar lub sweet t'ings. D' cook ain' fix d' pin back tight 'n' d' b'ar he go dere 'n' git it out 'n' git all d' syrup he want. W'en grampa go upstair' d' nex' time dey's a whole bahr'l 'r' syrup all ober d' flo' (floor At dinner time dey ring a bell 'r' blo' (blow) a ho'n. D' w'ite 'n' d' culled folks eat d' same time 'n' marster sot w'ere he seed dem bofe. Iffen dey war'n' (was not) 'nuf t' eat he say, 'How come? W'at d' matter wid d' cook? He lib in a two story house buil' outn' lumber. 'Roun' d' place was a culled folks quarters, dey sleepin' shack mek outn' logs. Some 'r' dem kep' dey own li'l groceries dere. Some raise' cotton 'n' t'ings on a patch d' marster 'low dem hab. W'at dey raise' was dey own. My daddy raise' a bale 'r' cotton each year. He raise' sweet 'taters too 'n' bank dem Dey hab Georgia hosses in d' quarter'. You dunno w'at dey is? Dey was dem bed places w'at d' niggers uster sleep on. Dey bo'd (bored) holes in d' wall 'r' d' house 'n' mek d' frame 'r' d' bed. Dey put cotton mattress 'n' blanket' 'n' quilt on dem. D' w'ite folks hab house mek bedsteads too. D' fus' bought bedstead I see was a plumb 'stonishment t' me. It hab big pos's (posts) t' hang 'skeeter bar ober. D' chairs was home mek too. D' bottoms was mek outn' w'ite oak splits. D' niggers lots 'r' time' mek basket' outn' w'ite oak split 'n' sell dem. Dey mek d' splits outn' a piece 'r' w'ite oak log. Dey saw a length. Dey tek a maul 'n' wedge 'n' reive dem out 'n' tu'n (turn) 'n' trim dem wid a butcher knife. D' marster sometime buy d' paint 'n' dey paint dem real purty. Dem basket' hol' shell co'n 'n' oats 's good 's a box. Dey mek uder t'ings too. Dey mek hoss collar outn' moss w'at dey pla't (plait). Dey mek dye outn' walnut, 'n' red oak, 'n' sweet gum. Dey bile (boil) d' chips. Dat d' way dey git d' dye fo' t' dye d' pants. Some 'r' d' folks hab looms. Dey card d' wool 'n' spin it on a w'eel (wheel). My mudder she spin. You know how dat ol' spinnin' w'eel go, 'Whoo, whoo, whoo, mudder.' My mudder she spin 'nuf t'read (thread) t' mek a pair 'r' thu'ty (30) foot plow line in one day. It tuk so many broches t' mek dem. Dey hab a rope fac'try on d' place. Iffen d' rope war'n' (was not) jis' right dey put dem in tar 'n' roll dem in d' san' (sand). Den w'en you hit d' mule wid dem you fair see d' hair fly. Dey mek uder rope from d' trimmin's 'r' hoss 'n' mule tail hair, 'n' sometime' d' hair offn' d' cow's tail'. Dat mek d' stronges' rope dey is. Dese days d' people is too ex-triv-istine (extravagant). Dey t'ro (throw) 'way a libin'. In dem day dey uster hab t' haul dey grocery from Liberty t' Peach Tree. Us lib eight mile' from Peach Tree. W'en d' wagon go t' Liberty fo' grocery dey yoke up fo' (four) yoke 'r' ox' 'n' put 16 bale' 'r' cotton on dem. W'en d' wagon coming back yere, us could hear d' teamsters a long 'way befo' dey git t' d' house. Dey fair mek dey whips sing a song w'en dey do dat 'double pop' wid dem. Dey use d' ox t' haul, dey neber use dem t' plow wid. Dey tek dem t' d' fiel', hitch up d' wagon 'n' put d' co'n 'n' cotton on d' wagon 'n' haul it t' d' co'n crib 'r' cotton house. I marry a long time atter freedom come at twenty year ol'. I los' my fus' wife. I raise' two batch 'r' chillen. Me 'n' my fus' wife hab nine chillen 'n' d' las' hab eight. Mos' r' d' chillen gals. Dey was on'y one boy. Dey jis' gittin' ol' 'nuf now t' holp out. I been t'roo some very hard time. D' guv'ment gimme a li'l pension but dey don' gimme 'nuf, on'y 'leben dollar' a mont' 'n' I got t' pay eight dollar' fo' house rent. I ain' done nuthin' t' git pay fo' in t'ree year'. D' county gimme med'cine treatment two year ago 'n' my wife done sick now. D' w'ite folks dat knowed me holp me out a whole lot. Does I 'member anyt'ing funny in slav'ry time?' I hear tell right smart 'bout h'ants. Dey tell one story 'bout a man w'at hab a monkey. Dat monkey he watch 'n' try do ev'ryt'ing a man do. One time a nigger on d' place he mek up he min' he gwinter skeer anuder darky. So w'en night time come he git a big w'ite sheet 'n' put ober him, den sot out fo' a place w'er he knowed d' uder darky hab t' pass. D' monkey he seed d' nigger wid d' sheet 'n' he grab up d' nice w'ite linen table clof' (cloth) 'n' t'row it ober him. Den he foller d' nigger. Dat darky he hear sumthin' hin' (behind) him 'n' look 'roun' 'n' see dat w'ite t'ing followin' 'n' he ain' know w'at it was. He t'ink it real ghos'. Den he tuk out 'n' run fitten' t' kill hisse'f. D' monkey he tuk out atter him. W'en d' darky fall 'zausted (exhausted) in he own doorway he fin' out d' w'ite t'ing behin' him is d' monkey wid d' table clof on him. Den he mad. Dat nigger he 'low t' hisse'f dat he gwinter kill dat monkey. He cain't do dat do' (though) cause d' monkey d' marster's pet. One day d' darky was shavin' 'n' he see d' monkey watchin' him t'roo d' do' (door). He know right den dat monkey gwinter try do d' same t'ing. So w'en he git t'roo shavin' he tu'n (turn) d' razor quick in he han' so d' monkey ain' seein' him 'n' draw d' back 'r' d' razor quick 'cross he t'roat (throat). Sho' 'nuf, w'en he gone d' monkey he go git d' bresh 'n' rub d' ladder (lather) all ober he face. D' darky he sneak back 'n' watch in t'roo a crack. Den w'en d' monkey t'roo shavin' he draw d' razor quick 'cross he t'roat (throat) but he ain 'know fo' t' tu'n (turn) it 'n' he cut he own t'roat 'n' kill hisse'f. Dat w'at d' darky want 'im t' do 'n' he feel satisfy' dat d' monkey done dead 'n' he hab he revengence