My name is Ellen Payne now, but in slave times it was Ellen Evans , and I was born on the old Mauldin place right here at Marshall and belonged to old Dr. Evans . Dr. Evans loans the Bible what had all our ages in it and never got it back, so when he freed us they guessed our ages. My mistress say I was 'bout sixteen years old when surrender come, and my daddy and mammy was Isom and Becky Lewis . Mammy come from Tennessee and they was seventeen of us chillen. Master Evans lived in a big brick house on the north side of Marshall and run his farm four miles from town, and I stayed on the farm, but come in town some with my mammy to work for Mistress Nancy . The niggers on other farms had to sleep on 'Damn-it-to Hell' beds, but we didn't have that kind. We had good wood beds and hay mattresses with lowell covers. I mostly minded the calves and chickens and turkeys. Master Evans had a overseer but he didn't 'low him to cut and slash his niggers and we didn't have no hard taskmaster. They was 'bout thirty slaves on the farm, but I is the only one livin' now. I loved all my white folks and they was sweet to us. The hands worked from sun to sun and had a task at night. Some spinned or made baskets or chair bottoms or knit socks. Some the young'uns courted and some jest rambled round most all night. On Saturday was the prayer meetin' in one house and a dance in another. On Sunday some went to church and visitin', but not far, 'cause that was in patterroller times. They was allus plenty to eat and one nigger didn't do nothin' but raise gardens. They hunted coon and possum and rabbits with dogs and the white folks kilt deer and big game like that. My daddy allus had some money. 'cause he made baskets and chair bottoms and sold them, and Master Evans give every slave a patch to work and they could sell it and keep the money. We didn't know nothin' but what went on at the place. Us slaves didn't carry news 'cause they wasn't none to carry and if the white folks want to send news anywhere, they put a boy on a mule to take it. Master Evans had a old woman what tended to us when we was sick, and he give us quinine and calomel and castor oil and boneset tea. That tea was 'nough to kill a mule, but it done us good. Some wore asfidity bags round they necks to keep off sickness. My young mistress married Master Clark and they lived close. and my mammy and me used to spent part the time workin' for her. Master Clark got to be governor 'bout time war started and moved to Austin. I still got the Bible he give me.

I 'member the white southern men folks run off to the bottoms to git 'way from war, but I never seed nothin' of the war. When we was freed my old master calls us up and say. 'You is free, and I'm mighty glad, but I'm mighty sad.' We stays on till Christmas, then mammy and me leaves and hires out. I stays workin' with her till I'm twenty-five and then I marries Nelson Payne . My young mistress sends me a blue worsted dress to marry in, and we's married at mammy's house and she give us a nice supper. He was a farmer and we kept on livin' on the farm fifty-two years, till he died. We loved farm life. I raised four boys but none of them is livin' now. When Nelson died first one then 'nother helps me and I has made a crop every year till now. I'm too old now, but I still raises some corn and pass and garden stuff. They gives me a $15.00 month pension, but I likes to be doin' somethin'. I still shouts at meetin's. I don't have nothin' to do with it. It hiss me jes' like a streak of lightning, and there ain't no holdin' it. I goes now to camp meetin's clost to Karnack and tries to 'have, but when I gits the spirit, I jest can't hold that shoutin' back. The young folks makes fun of me, but I don't mind. Style am crowded all the grace out of 'ligion, today.

Ellen Payne , an ex-slave in the home of Governor E. B. Clark , of Marshall, was born in 1849. She belonged to Dr. Evans , a pioneer physician of Marshall and the father-in-law of former Governor Clark . Leaving the Evans about seven months after Emancipation, she resided with her mother until she was 25 years of age, at which time she married Nelson Payne . Since her marriage, she has lived on the farm and since the death of her husband 11 years ago, she has always made a crop. She now lives alone on the Port Caddo Road, 4 miles northeast of Marshall, and draws a $15.00 per month pension from the Government.  My name is Ellen Payne now but in slavery time it was Ellen Evans . I was bo'n on the old Mauldin place right here at Marshall and belonged to old Doctor Evans . I'se heard my Master say that he settled on the place of the first man to run a store in Marshall. He say the store was in a two room log house and they sold groceries, notions and liquor. It was close to the "Buzzard Roost Hotel what was close to where the postoffice is now. Dr. Evans loaned the Bible that had all our ages in it and never got it back so when they freed us they guessed our ages. My Mistress say I was about sixteen years old when surrender come. My daddy and mammy was Isom and Becky Lewis .

Either one of them warn't bo'n in Texas. My mammy come from Tennessee. I'se heard my daddy say where he come from but that's been so long it done left me. There was seventeen of us chil'ren. The older set of us was me, Caroline , Henry , Calvert , Francis , Alfred , Allen , Lucy , Easter , Mattie and Katie . Adeline and Josephine was the youngest. The rest died as babies and was never named. My Master lived in a big brick house on the north side of Marshall and run a farm four miles from town. I stayed on the farm, but come in town with my mother to work for Mistress Nancy. The Niggers on other places had to sleep on "Damit-to-Hell" beds, but we didn't have that kind. We had good wood beds and hay mattress with lowell civers (covers). In slavery time I was little and mostly minded the calves, chickens and turkeys. My Master had a overseer but he didn't allow him to cut and slash his Niggers. My fo'ks didn't have no hard taskmaster. There was about thirty slaves on Dr. Evans farms and I can still name all of them. I is the only one living. I never seed nary one whipped or sold on our place. I'se seed them catch hand on other places and tie them up for running off. I loved all my white fo'ks. They was sweet to us. The hands worked from sun-up till sun-down. When they come in at night most every-one had a task to do. Some spin, or make baskets, or chair bottoms, or knit socks. Some of the young ones cou'ted and some of them jest rambled round most all night. On Saturday night there would be a prayer meeting in one house and a dance in another. On Sunday some of them went to church and some went visiting, but they couldn't visit far cause that was in Pattyroller times. We had a man on the place that didn't do nothing but raise gardens. We allus had plenty to eat. On the farm the Niggers hunted coon, possum, and rabbit with dogs. The white fo'ks had guns and killed deer and big game. My daddy allus had a little money in slavery time. He made baskets, chair bottoms and things and sold them. Dr. Evans give all his men a patch to work. They could sell what it made and have the money. We went to the white fo'ks church here in Marshall and to a church on Mr. Snowden's place. The preacher read the Bible and tell us to obey our Master and Mistress and not to steal chickens and things, but he didn't tell us 'bout Jesus Christ. The colored fo'ks had their own preacher in the prayer meetings in the quarters. We sung the old songs like "There is A Fountain Filled With Blood"; "Swing Low Sweet Chariot Coming for to Carry Me Home"; and "Amazing Grace". I didn't have no favorites cause I love them all. The slaves didn't carry news from one place to another cause they didn't know no news to carry. If the white fo'ks wanted to carry news anywhere, they put a boy on a mule and send him with it. I 'members us chil'ren playing marbles, "Frog in the middle can't jump out", "Old Molly Whoop Scoop" and running plays. We told ghost stories among ourselves that we made up. I ain't seed no ghostes and don't want to see nary one. Dr. Evans had an old woman that tended to us when we was sick. We used the doctor's medicines, quine, calomel and castor oil jest like they do today. They give us "Boneset" and other "got-up" medicine. That nasty "Boneset" was bad enough to kill a mule. Lots of them wore asfidity bags round their necks to keep off diseases. My young Mistress Martha married Mr. E. B. Clark , and they lived close to Dr. Evans .

After she married me and my mother stayed part of the time with her and part of the time with old Mistress Nancy . Master Clark got to be Governor 'bout the time the War started and moved to Austin. I'se still got the Bible he give me. I 'members the white southern men fo'ks run off to the bottoms to get away from the war. I 'members when we was freed that my old Master called us up and say; "You is free and is mighty glad, but I'm mighty sad." They surrendered in June and we stayed on till Christmas. I stayed with my fo'ks till I was 25 years old and married. My young Mistress send me a blue worsted dress to be married in. Me and Nelson Payne was married at my mother's house. They give us a nice supper. He was a farmer, and we kep' on living on the farm for fifty-two years till he died. We loved farm life. I raised four boys, but none of them is living. When he died, first one and another hoped (helped) me and I has made a crop every year since he died till last year (1936). I still raise a little co'n, peas and garden stuff. They gives me $15.00 a month pension but I likes to be doing something. I 'fessed religion fifty years ago and jined the Baptist Church.

There was forty of us baptized when I was. We all met at the creek and sung "Lets Go Down To Jordon" and then the Reverend preached a sermon. Then we all went into the creek and was baptized. There was plenty of shouting going on. I still shouts at meetings. I don't have nothing to do with it. It hits me jest like a streak of of lighting and there ain't no holding it. I goes now to the camp meetings close to Karnack and trys to behave, but when I gets in the Spirit, I jest can't hold that shouting back. The young fo'ks make fun of me, but I don't mind. Style is crowded all the grace out of religion today. I don't understand our young fo'ks of today. They is after the money and will take it any way they can get it. I was surprised when I heard the women was voting. I never heard tell of that. These times is funny. Something is got the world in the fix it is but I can't say what it is.