All de niggers stay at frust, den leave one after 'nother. I jus' de chile and de orphan, so I has to stay and it was bes' for me. Marster pays me when I big enough to work, and gives me $5.00 a month, and I works for him till I's 18 years old. Len de missy die and I leaves. Dat was de break-up or de place. I cries now when I thinks or de missy, 'cause she allus good to me and I feels for her. After dat, I works 'round a while and gits married to John Daniels in 1880. Dis nigger was better off in slavery dan with dat nigger. Why, him wont work and whips me if I complains. I stood dat for six year and den I's transported him. Dat in Roberts County. Marster Race Robinson brought dat no good nigger and me, with 'bout 50 other niggers, here to Texas. We 'uns share cropped for him till I transported dat ornery husban'. I makes a livin' workin' for white folks till 'bout three years ago and now I gits $15.00 every month from de State to live on, 'cause I has high blood now and I can't work no more.

Tillie R. Powers was born free in Okla., near the Washita River. Her mother had been kidnapped by a band of raiding Indians and her father was one of these Indians, this causing the Indian characteristics she bears. Her mother, desiring to prevent her from living a life with the Indians, wrapped her in a buffalo robe and laid her on a road near the Washita River. She was found by Mr. Joseph Powers , a U.S. Army officer, who in company with his wife and a party of soldiers, was passing through Okla. Mr. Powers took Tillie with them to Edgecombe Co., N. C., where he owned a plantation with about 50 slaves. He placed her in the care of a negro nurse and then adopted her. Mr. Powers then owned her as a slave. There she was reared to womanhood. Mrs. Powers ' death caused the breakup of the plantation, and Tillie had to go to work for first one and then the other until she married John Daniel in 1880. They had no children and she divorced him in 1886. Her second marriage was to Tom Randolph in 1887. They had 4 children before his death in 1905. She then came to Ft. Worth, Tex., and is now living at 1302 E. 11th St. Her sole support now is $15.00 pension recieved monthly from the State of Texas. Her story:

I's don' 'membah seein' my mammy or pappy, so w'at I's tell 'bout my early life am w'at I's tol' by my Marster Joseph Powers . Him tol' dis nigger cat I'm tree bo'n, an' den become his slave by 'doption. De Marster was a Captain, or a General, or something in de Ahmy. He says dat him an' his wife was takin' some soldiers back to some fort in de East w'en dey sees a bundle 'side de road neah de Washite River. wropped in a buffalo robe. De Marster gits off his boss an' picks up de bundle. In dat bundle am de piccaninny. 'twas dis nigger. Dat was 77 yeahs ago. De Marster an' his wife took me wid dem to Edgecombe County, Mo'th Ca'line, whar his owns a big plantation an' 'bout 50 slaves. Dere I's 'dopted an' put in de care ob de cullud nu'se dat deys have carin fo' de cullud chilluns. On dat plantation, deys have de quatahs fo' de cullud fo'ks. De cahins as built f'om logs an' had bunks fo' sleepin', de fiah place fo' de cookin' an' de table an' de bench, dat's all. Deys raise de cotton, t'baccy, wheat, co'n an' sich. Den dere an de hawgs, chickens, sheep an' sich wid a big o'cha'd whar deys have de peaches, pears, pluns, an' apple trees. Neahly ever'thing weuns eats an' weahs, am raised on de place. De slavery days, ob co'se I's don' 'membah much 'bout dem or de wah. W'en de wah am over. I's 'bout six yeahs ol'. Mos' ob de wo'k dat dis nigger does in slavery am eat de food. Ob co'se, I's picks up chips fo' kindlin' an' runs erran's an' sich. I's 'membahs de ways dey do de wo'k on de plantation well an' de ovahsears dat looks aftah de wo'k an' sich. De ovahseers runs de plantation 'cause de Marster am away mos' ob de time. Ever'one on dat place have dere certain duties. Deys have de spinnahs an' de seamstress dat makes de cloth an' de clothes. De shoemakah dat makes de shoes. De one dat looks aftah de livestock an' so on wid ever'thing. De treatment am good an' bad. If de nigger gits unruly, or don' do all de wo'k deys s'posed to, him gits a whuppin'. De whuppin's warnt hahd lak I's heahed dey gives on de udder plantations. On de Marster's place, de o'dahs am fo' not to draws de blood. Deys don' give de whuppin' often. De food am plenty w'en deys have plenty. 'Twas de sho'tage sometimes dat was caused by de wah. De Ahmy man comes an' takes de food fo' de soldiers. De wo'st ob de sho'tage am jus' befo' de wah an' jus' aftah.

De Missy Powers tells weuns dat 'twarnt dere fault dat de sho'tage exist, dat 'twas 'cause ob de wah. W'en de food gits sho't, some ob de niggers am sent ahus'lin' fo' de wil' game sich as de hawg, tu'key, an' de squirrels. Weuns am lucky dat weuns always have plenty ob co'n meal, 'lasses, an' fruit in season so weuns don' go hongry. Missy Powers am a good woman. She says dat de nigger mus' be well fo' to do good wo'k. She says, "Good care, good wo'k". Did weuns see de soldiers? Lawd a Massie! To'ards de las', jus' befo' surrendah an' aftah, weuns see dem by de thousan's. De Yanks an' de 'Federates, deys passin' an' repassin'. Whar dey gwine, or whar deys come f'om, I's don' know. Dere was some battles fought close to de Marster's place but I's too young to 'membahs no' den dat. I's heahs de shootin', dat leaves de 'pression on my min'. W'en de wah as over, de Marster come home. 'Twarnt long 'til he tells all us cullud fo'ks to be at de f'ont ob de house on Sund'y mo'nin'. W'en weuns gathah dere, him reads a papah. Aftah hims done, he den ta'ks to weuns. Him says, "All yous niggers am free. Dat means yous can goes whar yous please. Now, I's a'vise yous not to goes 'til yous have a place fo' wo'k an' make de livin.  Him ta'ks some mo' an' splains how 'twas fo' to d'pen' on youse'f. He tells dem dat dey have to earn de food an' de clothes an' dat dey can stay 'til dey make de 'rangements. All de niggers stay at fust, den leave one aftah anudder. I's jus' de chil's, an' am de orphan, so I's have to stay. 'Twas de bes' fo' me. W'en I's big 'nough to wo'k, de Marster pays me wages, 'twas $5.00 de month. I's do de housewo'k, an' wo'ks fo' de Marster 'til I's 'bout 18 yeahs ol'. I's leave de Marster's place 'cause de Missy die. 'Twas de breakup ob de place aftah dat. I's cry now sometimes w'en I's think ob de Missy 'cause she was always good to me an' I's feel fo' her. De Missy had no younguns ob her own, an' she treats dis nigger lak I's her chil's. Lots ob times w'en weuns sit an' ta'k, she tells me how deys fin' me 'side de road w'en I's a little piccaninny, an' how she's care fo'me 'til deys git me home. Dat she watch fo' my care w'ile I's am growin' to be a woman. Aftah I's leave de Marster's place, I's fin' wo'k wid Marster Brown fo' a spell. Aftah I's leave Marster Brown , 'twas dis place an' dat 'til I's gits mai'ied to John Daniels in 1880.

Dis nigger was bettah off in slavery dan wid dat nigger. W'y, him wont wo'k an' whups me if I's complain. I's stood dat fo' six yeahs, den I's transpo'ted (divorced) him. Dat was in Roberts County. Marster Race Robinson brought dat no good nigger an' me, wid 'bout 50 udder niggers, heah to Texas. Weuns share cropped fo' Marster Sidney Beckman 'til I's transpo'ted that ornery husban'. Den I's mai'ied Tom Randolph , an' weuns did de share croppin' wid Marster Sidney Beckman too. Tom was de bes' ever. Weuns gits on fine. Weuns had fouah chilluns, all boys. Now, deys gone heah, dere, an' I's don' know whar. I's never heah f'om dem. My husban', Tom , dies 'bout 1905. Since den, I's stay single. I's make my livin' wo'kin' fo' de w'ite fo'ks 'til 'bout three yeahs ago. Now, I's gits a pension f'om de State fo' to live on. $15.00 ever' month. I's don' have de health lak I's use to have. I's have de high blood now. I's have to took Yansea, all de time. Dat am de liver reg'lator. I's have to took dat, an' I's can't eat any sweets or de grease. Dat high blood will be my death befo' long. Dat am my life 'til now, an' 'twont be much mo'. F'om now on, I's jus' waits fo' de good Lawd to call dis nigger fo' Jordan. Now, yous ask 'bout de Patter Rollers an' de Ku Klux. I's jus' heah 'bout dom. I's never have no call fo' sich, 'cause I's stay in my place an' does my wo'k. dat's w'y. It am de scandalize' nigger dat had call fo' de Klux an' sich.