Youse wants to know 'bout de old slavery times. Youse have come to de right place. De doctahs am all s'prise at my mem'randum. Dis old head ob mine don't hold much hair but it holds de memo'y dat can tells youse 'bout my life f'om almost de time ob my birth. Ise will be 80 next June de 18th. 'Tis so easy to 'membahs 'cause it am de day befo' 'Mancipation Day. Dat am de day all us nigger celebrates de birthday ob our freedom f'om slavery. Weuns warnt free de fust day but Ise will tells youse mo' 'bout dat latah. Ise bo'n on Marster Will Robertson ' plantation neah Brenham, Texas, in Washington County. My name am Steve Robertson 'cause 'twas de custom in de old days to tooks de Marster's name an' de name follers youse all de rest ob youse life. Dey might sell youse on de auction block whar dey sells de niggers.  Dere am nigger traders dat goes through de country an' w'en dey comes to town dere am de auction sale. De mules, oxen, an' de hosses, an' sometimes even de plantations am sold dere. My name am Robertson jus' lak all my sistahs an' brudders but weuns don't all have de same father. De Marster picks de buck fo' to sire de chilluns wid de womens deys want an' it am usually de mostest p'olific. Sometime day goes over tudder places whar de biggah buck lives an' borries him. Dey sends him home w'en dey figgers de business am done. W'en dis old nigger am de piccaninny Ise lives in de nursery all de week long. Weuns don't see our mammy 'cept on Sunday mo'nin'. Deys wok diffe'nt places on de plantation all de day long an' w'en deys comes in aftah dahk weuns am all 'sleep. Deys only 'lowed to tooks de sucklin' babes out wid dem. W'en de babes reaches de certain age de mammies don't see dem no mo' 'cept on Sundays. Dey comes an' gits all us, tooks weuns home wid dem an' cleans weuns up. Deys puts de clean clothes on to goes vis'tin' wid dey neighbahs. Weuns could goes to de place next to weuns on Sunday an' visit. Marster Robertson's niggers laks to does dat 'cause de tudder plantations niggers allus gits de news 'bout dis an' dat fust. Ise tells 'bout de feedin' in de nursery. All us kids am given de wooden spoon each so weuns won't cut de mouth w'en weuns eats. Weuns am lined up 'long de table dat am 'bout 15 feet long an' 'bout 3 feet wide. Den de old Missus--de nigger womens dat cares fo' de nursery kids--puts de wooden bowls, dey am 'bout two feet long, on de table. De bowls have skimmed milk wid all de clabbah dat am left f'om cookin' in de bowls, den co'n bread am crumbled in it. If dere am no co'n bread left den dey cooks co'n pone special fo' weuns. Dat am de reason dat weuns am fat lak de pigs. Ise wo'ks in slavery too, all us kids am put to knockin' cotton stalks w'en deys all dried up in de fall wid sticks. Nowadays deys use de cotton pullahs dat goes 'long an' tooks fouah to six rows de time. Dat's de reason weuns have de shortage ob wo'k.

One fam'ly could wo'k 'bout 40 acres in dem days an' 'twas 'nough land to goes 'round. Nowadays one man cares fo' m'ybe 400 acres wid de machinery. Den weuns goes 'long an' thins de co'n wid our hands 'stead wid de hoes lak dey does now. Weuns stripped foddah by cuttin' de tops ob de co'n fo' to feed de stock an' also weuns gathahs de eggs. De Mistez brags on de one dat brings in de mostest eggs an' dat kinda spurs weuns up a little bit on de egg huntin'. Dere am one wo'k dat am mostest 'portant to me. Dat's de wo'k my mammy do aftah she wo'k all day in de field. When she come in she am given de certain 'mount of cotton or wool to spin into thread. Dey takes de thread an' weaves cloth an' den makes our clothes right dere on de place. W'en Ise wo'k fo my mammy, Ise runs de spinnin' wheel. Ise turns it fo' her, an' dat way Ise 'lowed to stays up wid de old fo'ks an' hea's dem talk 'bout dis an' dat. De clothes w'en dey am finished am called jeans. Dey am sorta lak canvas. Dey kilt 'bout one beef ever' week fo' de old fo'ks to eat. Dere am lots ob slaves on de place. Ise never know jus' how many. Ise know dat deys all time buyin' an' sellin' an' 'twarnt nothin' new fo' weuns to see new niggers on de place. W'en dey finds de lazy nigger dey keeps him movin' jus' lak dey does de lazy mule today. De old fo'ks gits all kinds ob good feed 'cause de Marster says de hongry nigger can't wo'k good. Dere am one udder thing dat Ise he'ps wid on de old place. Dat am de t'baccy makin'. Dey grows it an' w'en it am right to gathah de old fo'ks brings in de leaves. Dey has de boxes all sizes. Weuns tooks de t'baccy leaf an' lays it on de bottom ob de box, tooks sugah an' 'lasses an' anything sweet lak dat an' spreads it over de leaf, den puts tuddah leaf, an' so on 'til de box am full an' de lid am nailed on. W'en dey wants t'baccy deys opens de box an' dere am t'baccy dat am sho 'nough t'baccy. De cotton dat am growed on de place am a sight fo' sho. Ise can 'most see de white fields now. Deys picks de cotton an' puts it in big wickah baskets. Ise can see dem old fo'ks comin' in f'om de field now, wid de big basket dat am tallah dan some ob de chilluns on top de head. Sometimes youse sees de baskets befo' youse sees de fo'ks totin' dem w'en deys am walkin' in de tall river bottom cotton. De stalks grows tallah in de bottoms close to de wautah. Bout de 'musements on de place. 'Twarnt no pahties or gwine to church fo' de niggers 'cept me an' de coachman. W'en de Marster an' de Mistez gits fixed in de fine cai'age wid de fine hosses pullin' den Ise told to sat up wid de drivah. My mammy have me all fixed up wid clean clothes an' Ise sattin' way up high whar all de fo'ks can see me. Ise de cock ob de walk. De Marster an' de Mistez tells me dat Ise ain't de nigger lak tudder cullud fo'ks. Ise b'lieves dat.

W'en weuns am passin' tudder plantations an' de Marster sees tudder piccaninnies sattin' 'round in days qua'tahs him says, "Steve , dere's some little niggers." Ise looks an' den Ise hollers, "Hey dere, youse niggens, you!" De Marster an' de Mistez laughs den. Ise thinks deys laughin' at de niggers but Ise b'lieve now deys laughin' at me. Deys good to me so Ise s'pose Ise should fu'nish dem 'musements fo' lettin' me ride up high in f'ont lak dat. Dat am some fine fo' me. Dere am one thing mo' dat am diffe'nt den f'om now. All us niggers am taught to call de Marsters chilluns 'Marster an' Mistez' w'en dey am jus' bo'n up 'til dey am grown. 'Twarnt right fo' to call de kids dat. Ise don't does it now, Ise don't says dat fo' to be de smaht nigger but 'twarnt right. Heahs Ise am nigh onto 80 yeahs old an' Ise feel queeah callin' kids 'Marster.' My Marster am well laked by de niggers an' all de white fo'ks 'round dere but dey don't tell weuns w'en freedom comes. Weuns have what fo'ks nowadays calls de grapevine. All de news gits 'round to de dahkies someway. Co'se some ob it ain't news but am lies. Weuns heahs 'bout dis freedom thing but don't know what to do 'bout it. De Marster don't set weuns free so weuns am 'fuddled. Weuns all goes 'round an' whispahs 'bout what weuns knows so dat way Ise knows all dat de rest knows an' weuns gits some idea 'bout it. De way weuns catch on am w'en my oldes brudder asks de overseer fo' de pass one Sunday. Him shocks my brudder nigh to death w'en de commission am given. De overseer says, 'Youse don't need no pass. Gwine to de place youse wants to.' W'en him gits to tudder place deys whispah 'bout dis freedom thing. Him finds dat deys am wisah dan weuns am. Deys tells him a heap ob things dat weuns don't know about. W'en him comes back dat night him tells all us cullud fo'ks what him larnt on tudder place. De upshop am my mammy gathahs her fam'ly together an' tells de nigger man dat she laks to come over to her cabin. Latah weuns calls him our step-father. W'en all us gits to de cabin she gathahs our clothes--jus' a few dat weuns have an' de few old ragged quilts weuns have--an' makes de bundles fo' de oldah fo'ks to tote. Den weuns sneaks out de qua'tahs an' passes through de goat ranch de Marster owns. De goats all begins to stand up an' make de small noise. Ise tells youse dat our knees sho knocked an' weuns am skeert nigh onto death. Weuns makes it by de goats widout any troublements an' finally comes to a road. It am de fust road dat some ob dem ever saw. De oldah fo'ks don't know which way to goes. My mammy says, 'Let's jus' staht dis way. M'ybe weuns be lucky an' de road leads somewhar weuns am safe f'om de Marster.' Weuns strikes out up de road an' am walkin' 'bout de avrage gait w'en somebody sees de man domin' down de road. Weuns jus' know de man am de Patteroller an' will whup weuns an' tooks weuns back to de Marster whar him will whup all us 'gain. Dat's whar all us am wrong 'bout de man. Him am not de bad man but am de Good S'maritan youse read 'bout in de Bible. Mammy have weuns git to de side of de road so's to 'lows him to pass. 'Stead ob passin' him stops an' says, 'Whar youse niggers gwine?' Dat am some troublement w'en him say dat. Mammy answers, 'Weuns don't know whar weuns am gwine. Weuns am jus' gwine.' Him says, 'Whar youse f'om?' Mammy told him an' him says, 'Y'all come wid me an' Ise will gives youse de home.' We goes to his place an' stays wid him fo' 'bout 10 yeahs. Weuns larned latah dat his name am Duncan an' his place warnt fah f'om de Marster's place. De old Marster an' Mistez comes ovah an' ordahs weuns to tooks Christmas wid dem ever' yeah. Ever' Christmas all de old slaves gathahed in de f'ont ya'd ob de Marster's home an' dere am long tables piled high wid good eats an' gifts fo' all dat comes. All de mens gits pocket knives, de womens de comb, de boys gits marbles, an' de gals rag dolls. De trouble 'bout de marbles am dat de old fo'ks tooks dem mostest ob de time fo' to play wid demse'ves. Sho some 'citement 'bout de marble games dat deys have sometimes. Goes vis'tin' an' de mens plays marbles all de time dey am togethah.

My mammy cooks fo' Marster Duncan . Him gibs her $12 de yeah fo' dat. My oldest brudder share crops wid de Marster, an' de brudder dat am one yeah oldah dan me am still livin' neah de old home place an' hired to wo'k fo' $12 month. Dat am big wages fo' dem times. Dere am orater dat am tourin' de country den an' deys keeps de country all stirred up 'bout de nigger money question. W'en dey comes to Marster Duncan's place him says, 'Sho Ise pays all my niggers well. Jus' youse ask John ovah dere. Him will speak right up an' tells youse de 'mount dat him gets ever' month. Speak right up, John.' Den my brudder says, 'Sho, dat's right. Ise lak Marster Duncan 'cause him pays me $12 de month.' Den de Marster says, 'Now youse see? Ise treats dem well so's dey will wo'k fo' me an' make me money. Youse can't wo'k a man an' not pay him well.' Dat satisfies dem but my brudder never have any money. Ise know 'cause he show me all de time w'en Ise bum him fo' de nickle to gits me some marbles or m'ybe some candy. Him don't says dat him don't gits paid. Him jus' never have no money. Ise don't believe dat him am hidin' it f'om me 'cause him runs off aftah wo'kin dere fo' 'bout a yeah. All us kids wo's in de fields an' does right smaht wo'k, too, but weuns am not paid fo' it. Weuns begins to git a little wisah. Marster Duncan could see dat an' 'bout de third yeah on de place, him makes weuns de proposition dat if weuns will stay and wo'k hawd all de next yeah him will give all us de hoss an' de brand new saddle. Weuns wok's hawd all de yeah an' at Christmas time w'en payin' off am s'posed to tooks place him gives weuns de pony an' de saddle. W'en him pays mammy him gibs her de handfull ob qua'tahs and ha'f dollahs. Mammy can't count but it am a handfull ob money so she am satisfied. If she asks any white man 'bout de 'mount dey all says dey can't count. W'en weuns been dere fo' 'bout 10 yeahs mammy been gittin' wisah an' her moves off 'bout 3 or 4 miles to de Doctah William's place.

Mammy 'ranges to share crop wid Marster William an' 'grees to cook fo' $15 de yeah. Him allus gives kids de pony fo' de yeahs wo'k. Weuns am comin' up in de world den, two ponies an' two saddles. Dere am one thing happens on de place 'causes my fam'ly heap ob sorrow. Marster's son-in-law, Marster Hugh Jackson , tooks my sistah--she am 'bout 17 den an' am settin' up wid de young bucks in de neighbahhood--to de peach o'chard, pulls her dress over her head an' whups her wid de long peach tree switch. While him am whuppin' her, mammy am fittin' him 'bout it, but him keeps on 'til de blood am runnin'. Mammy goes to Marster William aftah him stopped but him says 'twould be best to fo'git de whole thing. Him says dat M'ybe 'twon't happen 'gain 'cause Marster Hugh will be 'shamed ob de reason why him whups my sistah. Twarn't long den 'til weuns moves tudder place a few miles 'way 'gain. Dis am de bestest place fo' me 'cause Ise given de job wid trust dis time. Ise de millhand; my wo'k am to drive de ox team wid de boxcaht to de mill once de week. On de way Ise s'posed to pick up de sack ob co'n at each house on de way. Dey don't have de brand in dem days jus' have de diffe'nt color strings on de sack: red, yeller, blue an' tudder colors. Ise stahts out an' mammy says, 'Don't fo'git to wautah de ox at noon.' If youse don't wautah de ox w'en him wants it him gits de wautah w'en youse don't wants him to an' youse can't stop him fo' hell nor high wautah an' him will tooks youse right in, caht an' all. Ise gits to de mill wid my load, unloads, an' drives over to de shade trees close to de mill. Dere am some tudder fellows dere playin' marbles. Ise gits into de game an' it am fouah clock w'en Ise looks up 'gain. De reason Ise looks up am 'cause de mill hands calls fo' me to load de caht. Ise tooks de ox up dere, dey loads me up an' way weuns goes to home. Ise fo'git de wautah. Weuns am gwine 'long close to de crick dat am neah de road in one place w'en dem ox stahts to'ards de wautah dey smells. Ise hollahs 'Gee' an' 'Haw' but deys suddenly deaf. Dey tooks de caht, co'n meal, an' all over de high bank. De caht tu'ns over, mostest ob de meal goes into de wautah an' Ise th'owed on tudder side de crick wid a sack ob meal dat lands right on my back. Ise cain't move but luck am wid me. 'Bout ha'f houah f'om de time Ise th'owed de cullud fellow named Smith an' raised on de place whar weuns am sharecroppin' rides by an' him sees de caht an' de ox. Him don't sees me 'til him comes down to de wautah to see what happen. He sees me an' aftah tookin' de sack ob meal f'om my back, he'ps me right de caht, hook up de ox, an' gits it up de bank. 'Tis aftah dahk w'en weuns finally gits de caht all loaded up 'gain an' Ise lights out wid de load. De wind am blowin' to'ards me an' long time befo' Ise gits to de place Ise can heah mammy callin', 'Ste-e-e-ve, oh, Ste-e-e-ve!' Ise answer, 'Wha-a-a-at? Wha-a-a-at?' She don't heah me 'til Ise gits lots closah an' dat makes her maddah 'cause she don't b'lieve Ise answer. W'en Ise drives in at de gate she am standin' dere wid a leathah hobble dat am used to hobble de stock w'en dey am tu'ned loosed at night. She says, 'Steve , did youse wautah dem ox at noon lak Ise told youse?' Ise says, 'Yas ma'am.' She says, 'Youse lyin'.' Den she stahts to hittin' me wid de hobble. Ever' time Ise says dat Ise wautah dem she hits me some mo'. She wins dat battle 'cause de hobble am 'bout to wreck me. Ise finally tells her dat Ise fo'get to wautah dem an' she lets up on me. Youse jus' can't mess wid my mammy.

De man dat weuns calls our step-father am 'round dere but him ain't de boss. Mammy runs de family. She even plows de crops jus' lak de mens on de Smith place. Ise can see her now plowin' wid de ox. Long 'bout dis time weuns am gwine to chu'ch regular. Seem lak de womens am de only ones 'cept me in our neighbahood dat laks to goes to chu'ch. Weuns stahts dressin' fo' chu'ch 'bout 10 clock on Satid'y night. 'Bout 11, weuns lights out wid de sack ob feed ridin' undah de caht an' tied to de cross membahs. Weuns picks up de womens at de places weuns pass in de night an' reaches de cullud chu'ch 'bout eight or nine clock de next mo'nin'. De nigger preacherman at dis place am name Beaver ; him sho de pow'ful preachah. Him cause de fo'ks to 'membahs de things dat him talks 'bout: how de Lawd answers prayahs, how many niggers prays fo' dis freedom weuns have now an' how dey's persecuted for de'prayin. Weuns am pow'ful pa'ticulah dem days. Weuns shines de shoes ever' Satid'y wid de blackin' dat comes f'om de bottom ob de teakettle. Weuns have de womens shave weuns wid de scissors, but Lawd, Lawd, don't cut dem chin whiskers an' leave de patch right undah de lip, too. Weuns am partial to dem spots, tryin' to look lak de preacherman. De womens cuts de mens hair in de summah time but de mens won't let dem git close wid de scissors in de wintah--'fraid ob de cold. Ise jus' 'void de troublemakahs all my life. Jus' cause de knots on youse head f'om runnin' wid dat crowd. De Patters runs me in a time or two w'en Ise a kid an' de white caps, or de kluxers, runs some ob us young bucks in w'en weuns been stayin' out too late to suit de white fo'ks. Ise been a fahmah all my life. Never does anything else. Dat's de bestest peoples in de country. Weuns am all sociable wid each udder. W'en Ise gwine to kill de beef Ise call in a friend an' weuns goes down an' picks it out. Weuns givs dis one dat paht, de tudder one tudder paht, an' divides 'tup lak dat. De rest does de same way an' weuns all lives high. Dere am one big green fly in de cheese. Dat am de way de big land ownahs does weuns. Ise fahmin' down 'round Navasota, Hearne an' pahts neah dere. Ise sharecroppin' wid de landlord an' him runs de commissary. Ise always savin' an' tries to raise me a hawg or two an' tudder ways to save on de grub bill. W'en weuns gits to settle up at de end ob de season de landlord says, 'How much youse got to have?' Ise scratch my head an' says, 'Marster, Ise save dis last yeah. Ise has my own meat an' Ise raise me a few vegetables. Ise don't git much. Ise lak to settle up wid youse.' Him says, ''T hell wid all dat. 'Twas dere fo' youse, whyn't youse git it? How much youse need? Heah, Ise will gives youse $100.' He gives me $100, and dat am my yeahs wo'k fo', say, 'bout 40 bales ob cotton. 'Twarn't right.

Deys have justice, too, 'cause deys all broke now. Some ob dem fellows dat use to run dem big places ain't even got a roof over deys head. Tudder thing 'tain't right am 'bout de votin'. Say youse has 'bout 100 niggers fahmin' or sharecroppin' on youse place. Youse have de friend or youse wants pull. De niggers got to vote de way him wants to. Ise never votes 'cept w'en Ise fo'ced. Bout de ma'ying, Ise ma 'ied Lou White in 1887. Weuns don't have no chilluns an' she dies in 1898. De next time Ise ma'y, Ise guess it took 'cause she am sattin' right dere. Her name am Mattie Morrison an' she cotches me in 1899. Weuns have three chilluns, all livin'. Ise has de son livin' in Dallas, one daughtah livin' 'round dere in de next block, an' weuns am livin' heah wid tudder daughtah, Susie Mae . Dese chilluns youse sees runnin' 'round heah am my gran'chilluns. Ise 'spect weuns will stay right heah fo' de balance ob our life. Ise gittin' $16 de month as de pension f'om de state, an' dat's gittin' weuns by w'en weuns watches de food bill. Ise sho' thanks de Lawd fo' dat pension. If 'twarn't fo' it Ise guess 'twould be hahd fo' de old fo'ks lak weuns