The old war? No, I don't remember so much about it, because I was so young. I was ten years old at the beginning of the war. I was born the 12th of May, but I do not know of what year, in the Parish of Abbeville, on M'sieu Prosper's plantation between Abbeville and Crowley. My parents were slaves. My father a Spaniard, who spoke Spanish and French. My mother spoke French. the old master too, all Creoles. I, as all the other slaves, spoke French. During the war all the children had fear. I drove an old ox-cart in which I helped pick up the dead soldiers and buried them. A battle took place about 40 miles from the plantation on a bluff near a large ditch  not near the bayou, no. We were freed on July 4th. After the war I remained with my old master. I worked in the house, cooked in the kitchen. Early each morning, I made coffee and served it to my master and his family while they were in the bed. The old master was mean  made slaves lie on the ground and whipped them. I never saw him whip my father. He often whipped my mother. I'd hide to keep from seeing this. I was afraid. Why did he whip them? I do not remember. He did not have a prison, just 'coups de fault' (beatings). But not one slave from our plantation tried to escape to the north that I can remember. The slaves lived in little cabins. All alike, but good. One or two beds. Rooms small as a kitchen. Chimneys of dirt. Good floors. We had plenty to eat. Cornbread and grits, beef, 'chahintes'(coons), des rat bois (possum). le couche-couche, and Irish and sweet potatoes. Everyone raised cotton. In the evenings the slave women and girls seeded the cotton, corded it, made thread of it on the spinning wheel. They made it into cotton for dresses and suits. No shoes or socks. In winter the men might wear them in winter. Never the women or children. How many slaves? I do not recall. There were so many the yard was full. They worked from sun-up to sundown, with one hour for dinner. School I hoed cotton and drove the oxen to plow the field. I never went to Mass before I was twenty years old. Yes, there were churches and the others went, but I did not want to go. There were benches especially for the slaves. Yes. I was baptized a Catholic in Abbeville, when I was big.Sunday the Negro slaves had round dances. Formed a circle  the boys and the girls  and changed partners. They sang and danced at the same time. Rarely on Saturday they had the dances. They sang and whistled in the fields. The marriages of the slaves were little affairs. Before the witnesses they'd 'sauter le balais' - the two - and they were married. No celebration, but always the little cakes.

We had no doctor. We used 'vincaire' (an herb) for the fever; la 'chaspare' (sarsaparilla); la 'pedecha(an herb), sometimes called L'absinthe amer, in a drink of whiskey or gin, for the fever. Des regulateurs(patent medicines). On nearly all plantations there were 'traiteurs'. (a chamdoctor, always a Negro). Noel we had the little cakes and special things to eat, but no presents. I was married by the judge first and after the marriage was blessed by the priest. I was 21 years old. I wore a new suit, because I had some money. I worked in the house during the day and at night I caught wild horses and sold them. I remember my wedding day. It was the Saturday before Mardi Gras. My wife came from Grand Chenier(Cameron) to Abbeville when she was small. We had 16 children, 11 boys and five girls. Three girls and two boys died when they were small. One year after my marriage I left the big house and made a home of my own. For an enclosure I made e levee of earth around. I planted cotton. I worked the place for a half or a third. I came to Beaumont 12 years ago, so my children could work, because I was sick. I could no longer work.

The old war? (meaning the Civil War). No, I do not remember very much about it because I was so young. I was 10 years old at the beginning of the war. Yes, I was a slave until the end of the war when I was 14 years old. I was born the 12th of May, but I do not know of what year--in the Parish of Abbeville, on Mr. Prosper Broussard's plantation between Abbeville and Crowley. My parents were slaves. My father was a Spaniard and spoke Spanish and French. My mother spoke French, the old master also, all "Creoles". I, as all the other slaves, spoke French. During the war all the children were afraid. I drove an old oxcart in which I helped to pick up the dead soldiers and helped to bury them. The battle took place about 40 miles from the plantation on a bluff (small hill) near a large ditch--no, not near the bayou. We were freed on July 4th. After the war I remained with my old master. I worked in the "big house," cooking in the kitchen. Early each morning, I made coffee and served it to my master and his family while they were still in bed. I also milked the cows. The old master was mean--made the slaves lie on the ground and whipped them. I never saw him whip my father, but he often whipped my mother. I would hide to keep from seeing this; I was afraid. Why did he whip them? I do not remember. Sometimes the masters would give a commission to a slave, such as delivering a letter to a neighboring plantation. If the slave did not do as he was told, the master would whip him. No, we did not have a prison--just "coups de fault" (beatings). No, not one slave from our plantation tried to escape to the North that I can remember. The slaves lived in little cabins, all alike but good--one or two beds, rooms as small as a kitchen--chimneys of dirt, good floors. We always had plenty to eat, corn bread, grits, beef, "chahintes" (coons) des rat bois ('possum), le couche-couche (corn meal mixed with water and fried), Irish potatoes and sweet potatoes. Everyone raised cotton. In the evenings the slave women and girls would seed the cotton, cord it, make thread of it on a spinning wheel, and make it into cottonade for dresses, suits and other articles. No shoes or socks. In winter occasionally the men would wear shoes but never the women or children. How many slaves? I cannot recall. There were many--the yard was full of them. They worked from sun-up to sundown, with one hour at noon for dinner. School? (making a gesture of hoeing cotton). I hoed cotton and drove the oxen to plow the fields. I never attended mass before I was about twenty years old. Yes, there were churches and the others went, but I did not want to go. There were benches in the big church especially for the slaves. Yes, I was baptized a Catholic in Abbeville, when I was big. Sunday, the negro slaves would spend the afternoons dancing round dances (the boys and girls would form a circle, change partners). They sang and danced at the same time. Very rarely did they have Saturday night parties or dances. The slaves would sing and whistle in the fields. The marriages of the slaves were very quick affairs. Before two or more witnesses they would 'sauter le balais' (jump over a broom), both of the parties and then they were married. There was no celebration but always there were small cakes. We had no doctor--didn't know what one was. We used "vineaire" (an herb) for the fever, la "chaspare" (salsepareille, sarsaparilla), la "padecha" (an herb which was put in whiskey or gin and sometimes called l'absinthe amer" because of its bitter taste) used also for fever and das regulateurs, patent medicine bought at a store. On nearly all of the plantations there were "traiteurs" (a negro who had supernatural powers and who treated by the use of charms, rubbing, and special medicines he concocted). Christmas we had cakes and special things to eat, but no presents. I was married by the judge first and after we had the marriage blesse by the priest. I was 21 years old. I have had but one wife and she is living with me yet. Yes, I wore a new suit because at the time I had money. I worked in the house for Mr. Broussard but at night I would go out and catch wild horses and after taming them, sold them. I well remember my wedding day. It was Saturday before Mardi Gras. My wife moved from Grand Chenier (Cameron) to Abbeville when she was a little girl. We have had 16 children--11 boys and five girls--three girls and two boys died when they were small. One year after my marriage, I left the big house and started a place of my own. I enclosed the field with a fence made of dirt and I planted cotton on the half or the third. I came to Beaumont 12 years ago in order that my children could work because I was sick and could no longer work.