I don' 'member much 'bout de war, but I was bo'n in slavery near de line of Tarrant County, in 1861. My master was named Wolf , but 'bout de and of de war he sells me to Dr. Barkswell , who owns my mammy. When de war is over we gits out and comes to Birdville and after three years Master Moser gives my mammy 17 acres of lan'. He owned lots of slaves and gives 'on all some land for a hose. For ten, twelve years after de war, de Klux gits after do niggers who is gittin' into devilment. De cullud folks sho' quavered when they thought de Klan was after them. One nigger crawls up do chimney of de fireplace and that nigger soon gits powerful hot and has to come out. You should of soon that nigger. He warn't human lookin'. He is all soot, fussed up, choked and skeered. Day warn't after him but wants to ask him if he knows whar other niggers is hidin'. I was too young to git in no picklement with do Klux. Years after dat, I'se married and have four, five chillens, and I'se comin' home. I'se stopped by seven men on hosses and dey all has rifles and pistols. I says to myself, 'De Klux sho' have come back and dey is gwine to git me. It sho' looks like troublement.' One of dem weighs 'bout 135 pounds and has dark hair and complexium, and he says to me. 'Nigger, whar's do lower Dalton crossin'? Dare was two crossin's of de Trinity River, de upper and do lower. I says, 'De upper crossin' is back yonder.' He says, 'I knows what de upper crossin' is, I'se askin' you whar de lower one is. Don' fool with us, nigger.' Dere was a big fellow, 'bout 250, settin' in de saddle and sorta ant goglin'. with his gun pointin' at so. De hole in de end of dat gun looked big as a cannon. He was mean lookin' and chewin' a quid of terbaccy. He says. 'You is goin' with us to de crossin.' Lead de way.' Dan I gits de quaverment powerful bad. I knows I'se a gone nigger. I says to dan, 'I done nothin', and de big fellow raises his gun and says, 'Git goin', nigger, to dat lower crossin', or you'll be a dead nigger.' On de way I never says a word, but I'se prayin' de good Lawd to save dis nigger. When we reached de crossin', I says to myself. 'Dis am de end.' De little fellow says, 'Do you know who I is?' I says. 'No.' He says, 'I'se Sam Bass .' I'se heared of Sam Bass , everybody had in dem days. He was leader of a band. He says, 'We don' want nobody to know we been here. Which you ruther be, a dead nigger befo' or after tollin'?' De big fellow says, 'Make a sho' job. A dead nigger cain't talk,' and den starts raisin' de gun. I wants to talk, but I'se so skeered I can' say one word. Don Sam Bass says, 'No, no! Let him go,' and den I knows de Lawd has heared dis nigger's prayers. Dey tells me dey's comin' back if I tells and I promised not to tell. I'se skeered for a week after dat. In a few weeks, I heared dat Sam Bass is killed at Round Rock. Dan I tells. Dat's do las' troublement I'se been in. Since dat I'se been busy earnin' vittles for de family. I'se been married 40 years and we'uns has 14 chillen and 10 of 'em are livin'. If it warn't for dis farm and do work white folks give me, I don' know how I could of got on. We gits a pension of $21 every month from do state and dat helps a heap. I'se never had no schoolin'. Dey used to think us cullud folks has no use for edumacation. I thinks diff'rent and sends my chillen to school. Dey reads to me from de papers and sich.

Andy Nelson , 76, Leader of the small rural settlement of negroes known as Moser Valley, 10 mi. E. of Fort Worth on Tex.15. He was born a slave to J.Wolf on a Denton County farm and his mother belonged to Dr. John Barkswell who owned the adjoining farm. At the death of his father he was turned over to his mother or as he supposes sold to Dr.Barkswell . When freed he and his mother came to Birdville and stayed for three years then moving to Moser Valley. The settlement was named after Telley Moses who gave his farm to his slaves or in some instances sold parcels to other negroes. Ise don't remembah much about de wah", said 'Dad' as he is known to most of the residents of the Valley. 

Ah was born in slavery on a Denton County farm just ober de lin ob Tarrant County in 1861. Marster J. Wolf owned me and mah Daddy. Dr. John Barkswell who had de nex' farm owned mah Mammay and we went ober dere nearly ebery Sunday. Mah Daddy died when I was about three an I guess I musta been sold to Dr. Barnswell , cause I went ober with mah Mammay. When de wah was ober we did not do like lots ob de slaves done and stayed with their old Marster but we gits out and comes to Birdsville (Birdville) and aftah three years Marster Moser gibs her dis 17 acres ob lan'. He owned lots 'o slaves and he give 'em all some land for a home. He give us this cause he liked Mammy even tho she wasn't one ob his niggers. Fo 10 or 12 yeahs after de wah some of the fool niggers hab lots ob trubbel. De worst trubbel 'round dis place was cause de Cullud folks wour run 'round widout pass. You know a nigger was supposed to hab a pass from de boss befo theys could lebe de place. De niggers dat lef' widout a pass gets to pesterin 'round where deys warnt supposed to be and gettin into debilment. De Ku Klux Klan was o'ganize den and dey gits aftah dem niggers. De niggers sure made a scatterment. Dere was niggers hidin' mos ebery place. Lots ob 'em was caught and got whuppins. De Cullud folks sho' quav'ed when they thot the Klan was after dem. One time de Klux comes to John Parker's home and when he sees de Klux he crawls up de chimney ob de fire place. Dar was still some fire and that nigger soon gets powerful hot and habs to cum out. You shoulda seen dat nigger, twarnt human lookin. He is all soot, fussed up, choked and skeered. Dey warnt after him but wanted to asks Parker if he knows whar some tudder niggers is hidin. I was too young to run ' round and my Mammy keeps me to home and dats why I diden git in no picklement we de Klux. Aftah a while de Cullud folks learns to stays where dey belongs an den de Klux trubbel quits. Yeahs aftah dat - Ise hab got mahied and hab foah or five chilluns - Ise on a mule comin home from ol' man Dalton's place. Ise stopped by seben men hosses; all hab rifles and pistols. Ise sez to mahself 'de Klux shore hab come back an dey is gwine to gets me'. It shore looks like trubbelment. One of dem, a man dat weighs about 135, has dark hair and moustache and dahrk complexium, sez to me 'Nigger, whar's de lowar Dalton crossin'-Twarnt no bridges in dem days. Dere was two crossins ob de Trinity Ribber, de upper an de lower. Ise sez 'De upper crossin is back yondah'. He sez 'Ise knows whar de upper crossin is, Ise am askin youse whar de lowar one is. Don't fool with us nigger, youse knows where de crossin is'. "Sho'", Ise sez. Dere was a big fellah, weighin' 'bout 250 a settin in de saddle sorta ant'goglin with his gun pointin at me. De hole in de end ob dat gun look as big as a cannon. He was mean lookin an chewin a quid of T'baccy. He sez "youse am goin with us to da crossin. Lead de way". Den Ise gets de quavement powerful bad. Ise just knows Ise a gone nigger. Ise sez to dem, 'Ise done nuthin must be some tudder nigger youse wants'. Dat big fellah kinda raised his gun an sez 'Get goin nigger, to dat lower crossin, or there will be a dead nigger right here'. Ise got goin. On de way Ise nebber sez a word, but Ise a prayin to de Good Lawd fo to save dis nigger. When weuns retched de crossin Ise stopped de mule at de edge ob de ribber an sez to mahself 'Dis am de end.' De little fellah sez 'Dyouse knows who is is?' I sez 'No'. He sez 'Ise Sam Bass '. Ise hab heered ob Sam Bass , eberybody hab in dem days. He was de leader ob a band of outlaws. He sez "Weuns don't wants nobody to know weuns been hyar. Which youse druther be, a dead nigger befo or aftah tellin'. De big fellah den sez 'Make a suah job. A dead nigger kaint talks' an den stahts sorta raisin de gun. Ise wants to talk but Ise so skeered Ise couldn't sez one word. Sam Bass sez to dat big fellah 'No!, No!, lets him to me' an Ise den knows the Lawd has heard dis nigger prays. Dey tolds me dat deys twarn't goin to hurt me, but dey's comin' back an if dey finds Ise told, Ise suah would be a dead nigger. Ise promised not to tell and dey lets me go. Is skeert fo a week after dat. In bout two weeks Is heered dat Sam Bass was killed at Round Rock. Den Ise told what dey done to me. Dats de last troublement Ise been in. Since dat is been busy earnin vittles fo de family. Ise been mai'ed 40 years and weuns had 14 chillun an 10 of em are livin. It took heaps o' work carin fo dat many so Ise hab no time to get in picklements. If it twarnt fo dis farm and de wuk white folks giv me, Ise don't know how I coulda got on. Ise an my wife gets a pension ob $21 eber month from de state and dat helps a heap. Ise neber hab no schoolin. Dey use to thinks us cullud folks had no use for edumacation. Ise thinks different an sends my chilluns to school. When deys could read, Is hab dem reads to me from de papers an sich. Dats de way Ise keeps up an posted on da doins. Mos ob de cullud folks is too onery to think. Dats too much work for dem.", and with this last conclusion Uncle Andy bid the writer ado as he went to correct a child in his potato patch.