My pappy told me some de Captain's men didn't have real guns, dey have wood guns, what dey call cam'flage nowadays. My pappy helped at de hospital after dat battle, and dey has it in a hotel and makes bandages out of sheets and pillow cases and underwear, and uses de rugs and carpets for quilts. I 'member dis song, what dey sing all de time after de war: O, I'm a good old Rebel, and dat's jus' what I am, And for dis land of freedom, I do not give a damn; I'm glad we fought again 'em, and only wish we'd won, And I ain't asked no pardon for anything I've done. I won't be reconstructed, I'm better dan dey am, And for a carpetbagger. I do not give a damn. So I'm off to de frontier, soon as I can go - I'll fix me up a weapon and start for Mexico! I can't get my musket and fight dem now no more, But I'm not goin' to love dem. dat am certain sho'- I don't want no pardon for what I was or am, I won't be reconstructed, and I don't give a damn. I has mighty little to say 'bout myself. I's only a poor Baptist preacher. De her'tage handed down to me am de proudes' thing I knows. De Prices was brave and no matter what side, dey done fight for dey 'lief in de right.

Allen Price , R. F. D. Mart, Texas. This story of a slave born during the war tells of the history handed down by his Master, one of the decendents of General Price of the Confederate Army, dates back to the emigration of the Price family from Virginia to Missouri when the pioneers were forcing their way against almost insurmountable hardships to the new state of Missouri.  I was born in Fannin County Texas in a covered wagon, in 1862, when my parents was on dey way wid their Master's, John an Jim Price from Misourri ter Texas ter make their home. Dey stopped in Fannin County fer a little while, den dey went on ter La Grange Texas, whar dey settled about six miles from this town on de Colorado river.   I will tell yer about my own daddy an mammy, but first let me tell yer about des family of Prices dat my ancestors cum wid in de early days from Virginia ter Missouri. I will have ter go way back ter de time dey joined de immagrants train fer de then far West. Dis country was at dat time de subject of song an' story an de spirit of adventure I suppose led dem ter give up dey home whar dey lived in comfort fer de new country. In my mind I kin see dem as dey dreamed of de riches dat was ter be found in dis place, I kin see dem as dey reads de songs of de poets of dem days,  Tar de West, Ter de West, dere is wealth ter be won,  De forest ter clear is de work ter be done.  An den I kin see dem as dey beqins ter dream about breakin' away from dey old home in Virginia an makin' de effort ter cum ter de new country, in dey minds dey thinks dis way.  We'll try it! We'll do it! an' never despair,  While there's light in de sunshine an breath in de air  If I remmnbers right de Price an de Blair famblies was one of de first ones ter cus ter dis new state dat dey was er settlin' up, an de sons of bof dese pioneers was ter serve in de War wid Mexico an de war between de North an de South. But dey was ter be on de opposite sides in de Civil War.  First let me tell yer about de trip from Virginia ter Missouri, an how dey used de oxen fer teams ter de wagons an how dey had ter ford de creeks, an cross de rivers like de Cumberland, Tenneessee, de Missippi dey took de boat. W'en dey cross de Cumberlan river dey hear dat de Indians are on de watch fer de emigrants, dey takes de Wilderness road an dey got ter Cumberlan Gap 'bout dark. Dis was de Cuzberlan Gap dat de rebels was ter defend against Morgans men in 1862, an de one dat dey sing bout,  Septeaber mornin' in sixty two,  Morgans Yankees all withdrew,  Braxton Bragg wid his rebel band  Run George Morgan ter de blue-grass land.   Dey tries ter push on ter de Big Lake fer dey thought dat dey would not be in so much danger after dey passed hit, but de roads had mud holes an slippery banks, cane-brakes an some logs across de road, darkness overtook dem an dey could not leave de trail fer fear of gittin lost.  De men was skeered dat de Indians would surprise dem so day let dey camp fires go out an kept some of de men on guard, dey was not disturbed dat night but de nex' mornin' w'en dey started out dey see an Indian behin' a tree an den he runs off. Dey decides ter keep on de open trail an keep de watch out fer dem, dey see plenty of sign's of dem following all along de way but as dey shoot de wild game fer dey meat de Indians seem ter be skeered of de guns. Darkness over-took dem an hit was a cloudy night, w'en all of a sudden dey hear de Indian yell, an dey cum's near enough ter attack dem wid dey bows an arrows, de boom of de guns an killin' two or three of de Indians made dem leave widout de white folks bein' hurt.  Den dey tell 'bout how dey camp out in de forest under de big trees w'en dey git ter de Tenneessee river an how dey sleep under de trees an how dey hear de howl of de wolves and de wild animals, dey pass thro' de thickets in passin thro de bottom an has ter cut dey way thro in lots of places. W'en dey git ter de Missiippii River dey takes de steamboat an de wagons an de stock are put in de barge dat is pulled by de boat in de back. Dey  goes up de river ter some point whar dey take another trail, I think hit was de Sante Fe, Trail, I remember a story 'bout de trip up de river bout de Indians.  On de boat was some agents of de government, while de boat was tied up at some place dey was de sound of glass er breakin from a shot fired at de boat. It hit one of de cabin winders dis was followed by de Indians yell an dey rush fer de boat, dey get possession of de forward part of de boat an dey tell de Captain "dey want de boat an dat if he gives hit ter dem dat dey not hurt anybody, but if he did'nt dey would kill dem, every one on hit. De Captain had a light canon on de boat an he has hit slipped up ter de deck while de Indians er prowlin aroun; de gun was loaded an ready ter fire, by dis time de Indians was all over de cabin an de Captain lit a cigar an held de smokin stump up in front of de Indians an told dem dat if dey did not git off de boat at once dat he was er goin' ter blow dem up an dey turned an fled ter dey canoes an was gone fast as dey could go.  De Captain den had de canon pointed at de banks whar dey could see hit an dat was de last of de Indians dat was goin' ter take de boat. W'en de emigrants from Virginia leave de boat fer de Trail again on lands in Missouri de country is all covered wid de spring flowers an hit looks wonderful ter de tired travellers.

Some of dem goes on an takes another boat on de Missouri River, dey is goin farther, some begins ter stop at St. Louis an some  goes on ter Kansa City, dat was called Westport den. After de folks dat went on left de river dey take de Sante Fe Trail, I think hit was, I has heard dem tell bout how hit went from Franklin Missouri ter de interior of de state.   In de early days dey had de river boat songs, but dey has been changed until dey are de ones dat was sung w'en de rebels an de Yankees fought but dey cum down from de song's of de early days, one went like dis,   I'm drinkin of rum an chawin terbacco,  Hi! Oh! The rollin' river,  I'm drinkin of rum an chawin terbacco,  Ha! Ha! I'm bound away fer de wild Miz-zou-rye.  and another dat goes like dis, jes a little different,   Missouri she's a mighty river,  Away-ay, you rollin' river,   De Indians camp along hits borders,   Ha! Ha! I'm bound away across de wide Missouri.   Dey was another story 'bout how de emigrants was attacked by de Indians an how dey took de oxen an wagons an left de settlers a foot, an how dey wandered around an' two of de men finally made dey way ter Independence an how de soljers went back ter find de rest, an how dey was picked up first one place an den another, on dey hid dey money on de banks of de river an how w'en dey took de soljers back ter find de money de water had washed de  dirt mray an der was de soney er shinin in de sun an de Indians had not found hit.   After swhile de government has de soljers ter go along de Trails ter protect de emigrants on dey way ter de border of Arkansas an Texas. Dese states was de frontier den. De war wid Mexico an de discovery of gold in California, de Morgon settlin' up Utah from Missouri an other states, de expeditions ter survey de railroads an ter carry supplies ter dem, an de discovery of gold in Idaho an Montans was de cause of a boon up de Missouri river fer thirty years after 1846.  

De emigrants was carried from St. Louis ter Independence an Council bluffs. an other posts along de river an from there dey made dey way by land, hit was de same way wid de ones dat travelled up an down de Missiippii. But w'en de railroads cum den de traffic goes ter dea an a whole lot leaves de rivers.   I has kept up wid de trails of de pioneers dat is still used by de tourist an de freighters of today, an some of dem are now de main highways like de wilderness road, de National road, de Sante Fe Trail, de California Trail, de Oregon Trail an de Old Spanish Trail thro' Texas. De rivers steam-boat whistle is not heard so much as in de days of de pioneers.   Hit seems dat I has taken up all yer time a tellin 'bout de days of de pioneer's, dat dey stories was handed down ter our folks from de Price fambly an our grand-daddy w'en dey was  pioneers too, ter me dem days are jes as interestin as de days of de Civil War.   I has kept up wid de history of two of dese famblies dat made de emigrants train de same time so far as we knews, an dat was de history of de Price and de Blair Fambly both from de state of Virginia after dey has fought fer dey state together in de Mexican war, den in de Civil war dey fights against one another. Dis was General Sterling Price and Francis Preston Blair , dis young Blair was de son of de editor of de St. Louis Globe, an his grand-father was Dr. James Blair , de first President of William an Mary College in Virginia, dis young Blair was a strong antisecessionist an worked jes as hard fer hit, as de young Sterling Price did fer secession. De elder Blair also had a son dat was one of President Lincoln's cabinet, I is tellin' yer about dem fer hit seems dat fate threw de dice as dey fell on opposite sides of de game an one was jes 'bout as strong as 'tether.    On de other hand de Price's fought fer de Confederacy all de way down de line of de fambly ter my own daddy who went wid his Master w'en dey called fer volunteers ter stop de blockade of Galveston an de Texas ports.

So I will start my story 'bout de two young Virginia men w'en de Civil war started an dey bof was living in Missouri. I may not have de dates jes exactly right but I has dem down as dey was handed down ter me by my daddy an from our Master dat brought us ter Texas, me was born on de way an my daddy an mammy wid de other slaves wid him.  I will start by telling yer 'bout de capture of de arsenal in St. Louis, or hit seems dat hit was out at Camp Jackson hit all started w'en de governer, Clairborne Jackson was secretly being helped by de state legislature in plannin' ter take de United States Arsenal at St. Louis. But hit seemed dat young Blair was suspicious of de governor being on de rebel side an was er watchin Camp Jackson, so he has er young officer of de regular army ter pretend he is Blairs mother-in-law an dress up in er black dress wid de poke bonnet on, an ride in his mother-in-law's carriage thro' Camp Jackson when de city foks was out drivin on er Sunday afternoon. Dis young Lyons , de one dat is dressed up like de mother-in-law of Blair , keeps er ridein thro hit an finds out all dey is doin' an den he an young Blair plan ter capture Camp Jackson fer dey say hit rebel camp, dey succeeded in capturing Camp Jackson widout having ter have a battle. In St. Louis dey celebrate de victory of de first surrender of de rebels by tearin down de rebel flag dat had been use at a meatin place of de rebels, an hit was never raised again in St. Louis.  After de governor heard dat de camp had been taken den he had a secession melitia organized an' appointed young Sterling Price de General in charge of hit. De first thing dat dey did was ter burn de railroad bridges an git ready ter meet de soljers under young Blair an Lyons .  Dey has some battles at Booneville, Wisloon Creek, an Carthage den General Price goes down into Arkansas whar he was with  Van Dorn and dey was joined by McCulloch, dat was er Texas Ranger, dey had er battle wid General Curtis at Pea Ridge Arkansas, de young ranger from Texas was killed at dis battle, de Yankees won dis battle as well as I kin remember an de Confiderates had de Indians de Chocktaws an de Cherokees an dey was so skeered of de canon an de guns dat dey fled an was worse dan no help at all.   Dis was about all de fightin dey did in Arkansas an dey was sent over into Missiippii ter help ter hold Vicksburg. We hear dem tell how Price an Van Dorn was in battles at Holly Springs, an at Grand Junction, how dey destroyed de provisions of Col. Murphey at de place called Chickasaw Bayou, an we hear dem tell about our young Francis Blair , of de Camp Jackson days, having charge of er brigade somewhar in Missiippii or Georgia under General Sherman , w'en he was er startin on his famous march ter de sea.   Den de last dat dey tell us about Van Dorn , de Commanding officer dat General Price was wid, we hears dat he git's murdered in er quarrel soon after he is transferred from Missiippii ter Georgia ter help General Bragg , an de las dat we hear of Sterling Price in de war was w'en dey sent fer de Yankee officer Andrew Jackson Smith ter help Sherman too, dat he was in Missouri er tryin ter run de "irrepressable (as dey called him) Price ", out of Missouri, so hit seems dat he went back ter defend his own state against de Yankee's.  I has tole yer about de Price from Missouri dat fought for his South in his state, now I will tell yer about de Prices dat cum ter Texas, de ones dat my folks belonged ter, dey thought dat dey was er going ter escape de worst of de war w'en dey cum ter Texas, an dey was er livin peacably down in Texas de year dat I was born, day commenced ter raise cotton, my ole Master was de first one ter build er cotton gin whar he lived near La Grange, and my daody worked in hit.

De gin had a press on de outside an hit was pulled by horses, an de men tramp de cotton in de press.  Dey make dey clothes wid de spinnin' wheel an de loom, w'en de Yankee has de Texas ports blockcaded so dey can't ship de dry goods into Texas.  W'en dey Yankees blockaded Galveston an was er threatenin' all de Texas ports den our ole Master took my daddy as his bodyguard an volunteers ter help ter keep dem out of Texas. I hear dem talk about de steamer de "Star of de West" being captured by General H. H. Sibley , wid de volunteers dat was hastily trained an called de "Foot an Horse Marines", den General Magruder recaptured Galveston from de Yankees wid two old cotton steamers an had cotton bales on de decks fer dey breastworks.  De last battle dat our Master an my daddy was in was de battle of Sabine Pass, dis took place on de eighth day of September 1863, de Yankee general Banks sent about five thousand troops on de transports conveyed by gunboats ter force er landin'  at de Pass, den dey could go up into Texas an take Houston an reach de rest of Texas by de railroads. Captain Dick Dowlin ' had forty seven men ter defend de Pass, my daddy helped ter build de breastworks dat de soljers stay behin' w'en de Yankees firin at dem. He say dat de guns hit part of de breastwork an tare hit up, but dey build hit right back while dey is firin at dem. Our Captain Dick Dowling run de Yankees off an took de steamer Clinton an de gunboat Sachen, an about three hundred an fifty prisioners. Dey tell de story dat while de men had guns dat de guns dat manned de fort was made of wood an was used as er "stall" what dey say in war "Camuflage".  Den my daddy tell how dey manage ter has a hospital, dey takes possession of one of de hotels an dey turns hit inter a hospital, dey makes de bandages out of de sheets, pillow cases an under wear, an fer dey comforts dey puse de rugs an carpets off de floors, dey puts de cotton between dem an make more comforts. My daddy helped at his hospital after de battle.  De last fight was down at Palmito Ranch near Brownsville, dis was in May 1865, a few of de rebels put about eight hundred Yankees ter flight an was er followin dem w'en dey heard dat de war was over. My folks was still down on de coast as well as I kin remember.  Yer wants me ter tell yer one of de rebel songs, well I kin remember hearin dis song sung after de war. Hit was a song of  de Reconstruction days.  "Oh, I'm a good old rebel, an dat's jes what I an, An fer dis land of freedom, I do not give a damn,  I'm glad we fought agin 'em an I only wish we'd won, An I ain't asked no pardon for anythin I've done.  I won't be reconstructed! I'm better now dan dem, And fer a carpetbagger, I don't give a damn.  So I'm off ter de frontier, soon as I kin go, I'll prepare me a weapon an start fer Mexico.  I can't take my musket an fight dem now no more, But I'm not goin' ter love dem, an dat is certain sho';  I don't want no pardon fer what I was or am, I won't be reconstructed an I don't give a damn.  

Well I has told yer de history of de Prices dat owned my daddy an my mammy an de ones back in ole Virginny, I has so little ter tell about myself, de heritage handed down ter me is de greatest thing dat I has ter tell an hit is de proudest thing dat I know ter tell. No matter ter me de sides dey took dey was brave an fought fer dey belief in de right.   W'en I was a young man I married a young woman by de name of Rebecca Lusk Hawkins , an we had eleven children, I raised dem at de place whar my folks settled in de early days, my life has been de ordinary life of a poor Baptist negro preacher, de Lord has been good ter me an mine, I loves de ole song of de "Flag of our Union."