I was bo'n on the Hugh Perry plantation over near Lee. My papa was name Ruben Ruffin and mama's name was Isabella . We was sold several times, but allus kep' the name of Ruffin . I was jus' a nussin' babe when Marster Perry sold mammy to Marster Butler and he carried us to Houston County. Papa was loft at the Perry's but Marster Hargrove bought him and then he bought mammy and me. That's the first time I 'member seein' my papa, but my mamma had told me 'bout him. De first marster I remember, marster Butler , lived in a big, two-story log house with a gallery. The slaves lived a short piece away in little log cabins. Marster Butler owned lots of land and niggers and he sho' believed in makin' 'em won. There wasn' no loafin' roun' dat white man. Missus name was Sarah and she made me a houseboy whom I was small. I allus took de co'n to mill and wont after things Missus would borrow from de neighbors, She allus made me ride a mule, 'cause de country was full of wild prairie cattle and varmints. Missus had a good saddle pony, and I allus rode behin' her when she went visitin'. When I growed up Marster Butler took me outta de house and put me to work in de field. We had an overseer dat sho' made us step. We was used rough durin' slavery time. We lived in log houses with wooden bunks nailed to de walls and home-made plank tables and benches. They give us one garment at a time and that had to be slap wore out 'fore we got another. All us niggers went barefoot. I never seen a nigger with shoes on till after de surrender. We didn' have no gardens and all we et come from de white folks. They fed us turnips, greens, and meats and cornbread and plenty of milk. We worked every day 'cept Sunday and didn' know any more 'bout a holiday dan climbin' up a tree back'ard. They never give us money, and we hit de field by sunup and stayed dere till sundown. The niggers was whipped with a ridin' quirt. The wood s was full of runaways and I heered them houn's a runnin' 'em like deer many a time, and heered dat whip when they's caught, He'd tie 'em to a tree with a line and nearly kill 'em. On rainy days we was in de crib shuckin' corn, and he never lot us have parties. Sometimes we went fishin' or huntin' on Sat'day afternoon, but that wasn' often. Marster Butler was shot. He run a store on the place and one day a white boy was pilferin' roun' and he slap him. De boy goes home and tell his pappy and his pappy kill Marster Butler . So me and my mammy was sold to Marster Hargrove , who owned my pappy. That was freedom to me, 'cause Marster Henry didn' cuff his niggers roun'. I worked roun' de house mostly, and fixin' harness and buggies and wagons. I never knew but one nigger to run away from Marster Hargrove. He slip off and goes to Shreveport. That was Peter Going . Marster missed him and he goes to fin' him. When he fin's him in Shreveport, he say, 'Come on, Peter , you knowed what you was doin' end you's goin' to pay for it.' Marster tied him behin' de buggy and trots de hosses all way back home. Then he ties Peter to a tree and makes him stay dere all night with nothin' to eat. Peter , nor none of the res' or the niggers didn' ever try to run off after that. I don' 'member much 'bout de war. I see the infantry one time over that close to where Karnack is. I was sittin' on a mule when they pass. All they say is, 'Better git on home, nigger.' Marster lef' for de war but didn' stay long. He wouldn' tell us niggers we was free after surrender and we worked on the plantation more'n a year after that. After I lef' the Hargroves I lived with my pappy and mammy till I married Lucinda Greer and we raised two boys and two girls to be grown and married. They all dead now, and since my wife died, about 8 years ago, I live here with Will Jones , my grandson.

Gill Ruffin , an ex-slave, was born in 1837 on the Hugh Perry plantation in what is now the northeastern part of Harrison County. As an infant, he was sold with his mother to Charley Butler and carried to Houston County, his father remaining with the Perrys . About a year before the war, he and his mother were returned to Harrison County as slaves of Henry Hargrove , who in the meantime had purchased Gill's father from the Perrys , thus reuniting them. Leaving the Hargroves about one year after the war, he resided with his parents till his marriage several years later. Since the death of his wife about eight years ago, he has made his home with a grandson, who lives about two miles southwest of Karnack, on S. Hy. 42. "I was bo'n on the Hugh Perry plantation over near Lee. My Pappy was name Ruben Ruffin , and Mammy's name was Isabella . We was sold several times, but allus kep' the name of Ruffin . I was jes' a nussin' babe when Master Perry sole Mammy to Master Charley Butler and carry us to Houston County. Pappy was left here, but later was sole to Master Henry Hargrove . He was carriage driver fer him. Jes' fore the war, Master Hargrove bought me and Mammy an' brung us back to Harrison County. That's the fu'st time I 'member seein' Pappy, but Mammy had tole me 'bout him. Master Henry was a site better to his Niggers than Master Charley . Master Butler liv' in a big two-story, log house wid a gall'ry. The slaves liv' a sho't piece away in small log cabins. He owned lots of land an' Niggers, an' sho' believed in makin' them wo'k. There warn't no loafin' round dat white man. Mistress' name was Sarah an' make me a houseboy when I was jes a chil. I allus took the co'n to mill, an' go after things Mistress would borrow frum de na'bors. She allus make me ride a mule 'cause de country was full of wild prairie cattle and varmits. Mistress had a good saddle pony, an' I allus ride behind her when she go visitin. When I growed up Master Butler take me out of the house and put me to work in the fiel'. We had an overseer dat sho' made us step. We was used ruff in Houston County during' slavery time. We lived in log-houses that had ha'd wooden bunks nailed to the wall, home-made plank tables an' benches. They giv' us one garment at a time, an' that had to be slap wore out 'fore we got another. All de Niggers went barefooted. I nebber seen a Nigger wid shoes on till after surrender. The slaves didn't have no gardens. All we et come from the white fo'ks. They fed us turnips, greens, meat, co'n-bread an' plenty of milk. We wo'ked in the fiel' every day 'cept Sunday, an' didn't know anymore 'bout a holiday than climbin' up a tree backward. They nebber giv' a slave any money. Niggers didn't know what it looked lak in slavery time. The overseer make us hit the fiel' by daylight an' kep' us there till sundown. He allus done the whipin' of the Niggers at the house with a ridin' quirt. The woods was full of run-aways, an' I heard them houn's a runnin' them lak deer many a time, an' hear that whip when the overseer catch them. He tied them to a tree with a line an' nearly kill them. I was whiped many times, but not lak that. The Niggers warn't 'lowed to go anywhere. Master Butler saw that we loose no time. On rainy days he put us all in the crib shuckin' corn. He nebber let us hav' parties. Sometimes, we could go fishin' or huntin' on Saturday afternoon, but that was seldom. Master Butler was shot. He run a sto' there on the place. One day he found a white boy pilferin' 'round in the sto' an' slap him. The boy go home an' tell his pappy that Master beat him. His pappy waits till he git the drop an' kill Master Butler . Then Mistress Sarah 'cide to sell out everything. Me an Mammy was sold to Master Henry Hargrove, who owned my Pappy, an' brought back to Harrison County, That was more lak freedom to me than when they turn us loose after the war 'cause Master Butler sho cuff his Niggers 'round. Master Henry warn't that way. Pappy was his carriage driver. After I come from Houston County I wo'ked round the house, mos'ly, fixin' harness, greasin' an' fixin' the buggies, carriage, an' wagons, an' tendin' to the stock. Master Henry sho had some high steppin' horses.

He nebber had but one Nigger to run-a-way that I 'member. That was Peter Going . He slip off an' go to Shrevepo't. Master Henry miss him sho'tly after he left an' go to fin' him. When he fin' him there in Shrevepo't he say, "Come on Peter , you knowed what you was doin' an' goin' pay fer it". Master tied him behind the buggy and trot the horses all way back home. Then he tie Peter to a tree and make him stay there all night with-out anything to eat. Peter nor none of the res' of the Niggers didn't ever try to run off after that. I don't 'member much bout the war. I see the infantry one time over thar close to where Karnack is now. I was sittin' on a mule when they pass. All they say is "Better git on home Nigger". Master Hargrove lef' for the war but didn't stay long. He wouldn't tell the Niggers they was free after surrender. We wo'ked on there on the place mos' a year after surrender. After I lef the Hargroves I liv' with Pappy an' Mammy till I married Lucinda Greer . We raised two boys and two girls to be grown an' married. They all dead now an' since my wife died 'bout eight years ago, I liv' here with Will Jones , my grandson.