Tom Scott

Tom Scott is a small, short, very black negro. He was barefoot, and had on much patched clothes, wore short, black hair, and short whiskers. He smokes a pipe incessantly, has an impediment in his speech, and is very hard to understand. He lives in a nice, big house which is rented. Warren Tom Scott's my full name. I was bo'n close to Jasper, 'bout de end of de war, I t'ink My fadder' name Henry Scott . He come here from Lou'siana befo' de war. My mudder, Elsie Scott , she come from Tuskie, Alabama. My brudders is William , Frank , Hilliard , Richmond , Plares and Henry , de baby chile. I hab five sister, Jennie , Mary , Edna , Cordelia and Norvella . All my folks was brung here slaves, and den dey git sot free. Atter dat dey rent lan' and all farm. Woodruff Norsworthy was our marster, and I tells you, he treat' us rough. He whip' mudder sumpin' turrible. She hab knots all over her back dat stuck out big's my t'umb. Fadder and mudder bofe wuk in de fiel'.I don' 'member Missus' name, but dey hab big fambly of dere own. Marster own' big plantation on Walnut Run, t'ree mile' souf-eas' of Jasper, whar I's bo'n. Marster, he lib in fine, big frame house, and hab quarters for he fifteen or twenty head of slaves. He fu'nish dem wid very sorry outfit. I nebber see 'im whip a slave, but I knows he done it, from de way he whip my mudder.Us went to Jasper to chu'ch on a pass. Dey read de Bible to de slaves at home, and try to teach 'em to read and write. My fav'rite preacher was a w'ite Mef'dis' preacher name' Everett Armstrong . On Crissmus, I 'members dey hab preachin', sociables, and games. I like bes' to play marbles. I was sho' good at dat and baseball. Mudder uster sing a song call' 'Sleep, Baby, Sleep," to git de li'l chillen to go to sleep. Her fav'rite chu'ch song was:De fust money I eber mek was by pickin' cotton. Don' 'member w'at I buy wid it, but guess it was candy, 'cause I sho' uster like candy. I nebber seen no ghos'tes. Dey ain't nuffin' to dat stuff nohow.I been marry twict. I hab seben chillen by my fust wife; she die' in 1901. My secon' wife, she libbin' now, and us got seben chillen. My fadder' gran' fadder come from Africa, so I's pure negro, and my wife is, too. W'en us git free, us so proud, us all fix up and go out to Peach Tree dat Juneteenth to cel'brate. Fadder, he do farmin' atter freedom come, and he send me to school one mont' each year for t'ree year', and I learn to read, write and spell and figger a little. I farms a good rented place. I gits six dollar' a mont' pension. I b'longs to de Chu'ch of Christ. I's heerd my folks talk 'bout de war, but I's so young, I's done fo'git mos' all dey say.