I's borned in Georgia, next to the line of North Car'lina, on Widow Hick's place. My papa died 'fore I's borned but my mammy was called Aggie . My ole missus died and us fell to her nephew, Ab Smith . My gramma and granpa was full-blooded Africans and I couldn't unnerstand their talk. My missus was borned on the Chattahoosa River and she had 2,000 acres of land in cul'vation, a thousand on each side the river, and owned 500 slaves and 250 head of work mules. She was the richest woman in the whole county. Us slaves lived in a double row log cabins facin' her house and our beds was made of rough plank and mattresses of hay and lynn bark and shucks, makes on a machine. I's spinned many a piece of cloth and wove many a brooch of thread. Missus didn't 'low her niggers to work till they's 21, and the chillen played marbles and run round and kick their heels. The first work I done was hoeing and us worked long as we could see a stalk of cotton or hill of corn. Missus used to call us at Christmas and give the old folks a dollar and the rest a dinner. When she died me and my mother went to Ab Smith at the dividement of the property. Master Ab put as to work on a big farm he bought and it was hell 'mong the yearlin's if you crost him or missus either. It was double trouble and a cowhidin' whatever you do. She had a place in the kitchen where she tied their hands up to the wall and cowhided them and sometimes cut they back 'most to pieces. She made all go to church and let the women wear some her old, fine dresses to hide the stripes where sho'd beat them. Mammy say that to keep the folks at church from knowin' how mean she was to her niggers. Master Ab had a driver and if you didn't do what that driver say, master say to him, 'Boy, come here and take this nigger down, a hunerd licks this time. Sometimes us run off and go to a dance without a pass and 'bout time they's kickin' they heels and getting sot for the big time, in come a patterroller and say, 'Havin' a big time, ain't you? Got a pass?' If you didn't, they'd git four or five men to take you out and when they got through you'd sho' go home. Master Ab had hunerds acres wheat and made the women stack hay in the field. Sometimes they got sick and wanted to go to the house, but he made them lay down on a straw-pile in the field.

Lots of chillen was borned on a strawpile in the field. After the chile was borned he sent then to the house. I seed that with my own eyes. They was a trader yard in Virginia and one in New Orleans and sometimes a thousand slaves was waitin' to be sold. When the traders knowed men was comin' to buy, they made the slaves all clean up and greased they mouths with meat skins to look like they's feedin' them plenty meat. They lined the women up on one side and the men on the other. A buyer would walk up and down 'tween the two rows and grab a woman and try to throw her down and feel of her to see how she's put up. If she's purty strong, he'd say, 'Is she a good breeder?' If a gal was 18 or 19 and put up good she was worth 'bout $1,500. Then the buyer'd pick out a strong, young nigger boy 'bout the same age and buy him. When he got them home he'd say to them, 'I want you two to stay together. I want young niggers.' If a nigger ever run off the place and come back, master'd say, 'If you'll be a good nigger, I'll not whip you this time.' But you couldn't 'lieve that. A nigger run off and stayed in the woods six month. When he come back he's hairy as a cow, 'cause he lived in a cave and come out at night and pilfer round. They put the dogs on him but couldn't cotch him. Fin'ly he come home and master say he won't whip him and Tom was crazy 'nough to 'lieve it. Master say to the cook, 'Fix Tom a big dinner," and while Tom's eatin'. master stand in the door with a whip and say, 'Tom , I's change my mind; you have no business runnin' off and I's gwine take you out jus' like you come into the world. Master gits a bottle whiskey and a box cigars and have Tom tied up out in the yard. He takes a chair and say to the driver. 'Boy, take him down, 250 licks this time.' Then he'd count the licks. When they's 150 licks it didn't look like they is any place left to hit, but master say, 'Finish him up.' Then he and the driver sot down, smoke cigars and drink whiskey, and master toll Tom how he must mind he master. Then he lock Tom up in a log house and master tell all the niggers if they give him anything to eat he'll skin 'em alive. The old folks slips Tom bread and meat. When he gits out, he's gone to the woods 'gain. They's plenty niggers what stayed in the woods till surrender.

I heared some slaves say they white folks was good to 'em, but it was a tight fight where us was. I's thought over the case a thousand times and figured it was 'cause all men ain't made alike. Some are bad and some are good. It's like that now. Some folks you works for got no heart and some treat you white. I guess it allus will be that way. They was more ghosts and hants them days than now. It look like when I's comin' up they was common as pig tracks. They come in different forms and shapes, sometimes like a dog or cat or goat or like a man. I didn't 'lieve in 'em till I seed one. A fellow I knowed could see 'em every time he went out. One time us walkin' 'long a country lane and he say, 'Jerden , look ever my right shoulder.' I looked and see a man walkin' without a head. I broke and run plumb off from the man I's with. He wasn't scart of 'em. I's refugeed from Georgia to Indereon County 'fore the war. I see Abe Lincoln onct when he come through, but didn't none of knew who he was. I heared the president wanted 'em to work the young niggers till they was twenty-one but to free the growed slaves. They say he give 'em thirty days to 'siderate it. The white folks said they'd wade blood saddle deep 'fore they'd lot us lease. I don't blame 'em in a way, 'cause they paid for us. In 'nother way it was right to free us. We was brought here and no person is sposed to be made a brute. After surrender, Massa Ab call us and say we could go. Mammy stayed but I left with my uncles and aunts and went to Shreveport where the Yanks was. I didn't hear from my mammy for the nex' twenty years. In Ku Klux times they come to our house and I stood tremblin', but they didn't bother us. I heared 'em say lots of niggers was took down in Sabine bottom and Kluxed, just 'cause they wanted to git rid of 'em. I think it was desperades what done that, 'stead of the Ku Klux. That was did in Panela County, in the Bad Lands. Bill Bateman and Bulon Gresham and Sidney Farney was desperades and would kill a nigger jus' to git rid of him. Course, lets of folks was riled up at the Kluxers and blamed 'em for everything. I's voted here in Marshall.

Every nation has a flag but the cullud race. The flag is what protects 'em. We wasn't invited here, but was brought here, and don't have no place else to go. We was brought under this government and it's right we be led and told what to do. The cullud folks has been here more'n a hunerd years and has help make the United States what it is. The only thing that'll help the cause is separation of the races. I'll not be here when it comes, but it's bound to, 'cause the Bible say that some day all the races of people will be separated. Since 1865 till now the cullud race have done nothing but go to destruction. There was a time a man could control his wife and family, but you can't do that now. After surrender I went to Shreveport and steamboated from there to New Orleans, then to Vicksburg. Old hands was paid $15,00 a trip. I come here in 1872 and railroaded 30 years, on the section gang and in the shops. Since then I farmed and I's had three wives and nineteen chillen and they are scattered all ever the state. Since I's too old to farm I work at odd jobs and git a $10.00 a month pension.

Jordon Smith , an 86 year old ex-slave, was born in Georgia as a slave of Widow Hicks . Upon the death of his original mistress, Jordon and his mother, together with thirty other slaves was willed to Ab Smith , a nephew of Mrs. Hicks , and later refugeed from Georgia to Anderson County, Texas. Leaving the Smiths in 1865, Jordon went to Shreveport, where he was employed on a steamboat crew on Red River until the advent of railroads to that section. The next thirty years of his life was given to railroading and working in the Texas and Pacific Shops in Marshall. Since leaving the railroad company, he has earned a living by odd jobs and Government relief. Jordon has had three wives and reared nineteen children. He and his third wife, and six children now live in Sunny South Addition in the southeastern outskirts of Marshall. He receives a $10.00 per month pension from the Government. I was bo'n in Geo'gia, next to the line of North Carolina on the Wider (Widow) Hick's place. I don't 'member her husband 'cause he died 'fore I was bo'n. My father died 'fore I was bo'n too, but my mother was named Aggie , and belonged to Wider Hicks . Her name was changed after my ole Mistress died, and we fell to her nephew, Ab Smith . I had seven brothers and sisters live to be grown. They was Tom , Willie , Wash , Jane , Hannah , Kate and Lizza . I 'members my mother's father and mother. They come from up North somewhere, and was full blood Africans. I couldn't understand their talk.

My Mistress was bo'n and bred on the Chattahoosa River. She had 2,000 acres of land in cultivation, a thousand acres on each side of the river, and owned 500 slaves and 250 head of work mules. She was the richest woman in the whole country. She didn't have no chil'ren, but two nephews, Ab and Will Smith lived with her. The slaves lived in a double row of log cabins, facing Mistress' house. Our beds was of rough plank, and the mattresses was made of hay, lynn bark and shucks. They made them on a machine. I'se spun many a piece of cloth and wove many a brooch of thread. Mistress didn't 'low her "Niggers" to work till they was twenty one. The chil'ren played marbles and run round and kick up their heels till they was grown. She had a overseer and several "Drivers". The first work I done was hoeing, and we worked as long as we could see a stalk of cotton or a hill of corn. The hands didn't wo'k on Saturday afternoon. That's when they washed their clothes and went fishing if they wanted to. I'se seed Niggers with munney in slavery time. They stole whiskey or something and slipped off and sold it to get munney. Mistress used to call up the old fo'ks at Christmas and give them a dollar a piece. The rest got a dinner. When my ole Mistress died, they divide her property up between Ab and Will Smith , her two nephews what lived with her since I can 'member. I don't know how much munney and land they got, but each one of them drew twelve slaves a piece. Me, my mother, and some uncles and aunts was in the draw and went to Ab Smith . The rest of the slaves was put on the block and sold and carried to Knoxville. I'se hear men begging the buyers to buy their wife or some of their fo'ks so they could be together. Lots of times the buyer say "I don't want her, or him", speaking of some of his fo'ks. That caused a big separation. Some of ole Mistress' slaves never seed their fo'ks after they was sold at the "dividement" of the property. Master Ab then come down south in Georgia and put us to work on a big farm he bought. It was "hell 'mong the yearlings" if you crossed him or Mistress either. Mistress had a houseboy, a cook, and several housegirls. It was "double trouble" and a cowhiding most anything they do. She had a place in the kitchen where she tie their hands up to the wall and cowhide them. Sometime she cut their back most to pieces. She made them all go to church on Sunday, and would let the wimmen wear some of her old fine dresses to hide the stripes where she had beat them. Mother say that was to keep the fo'ks at church from knowing how mean she was to her Niggers. Master Ab didn't have an overseer, but he had a "Driver". He usually kep' 'bout fifty fiel' hands. If you didn't do what that "Driver" say, Master would say to him, "Boy, come here and take this Nigger down ... one hundred licks this time". Everytime that coach-whip was drawed back business picked up. After the "Driver" had put on a hundred or so licks,

Master would say to the one who he was beating, "Think you can do right now?" He told all his neighbors to whip his Niggers if they caught them on their place without a pass. Sometimes the slaves run off and go to dances without a pass. 'Bout the time they was kicking their heels together and getting set for a big time, a Pattyroller would come in and say, "Having a big time, ain't you? Got a pass?" If you didn't have a pass he'd have four or five men to take you out and when they got through with you you'd sho' go home. Master Ab had hundreds of acres of wheat and made the wimmen stack hay in the fiel'. Sometime one of them got sick and wanted to go to the house, but he made them lay down on a straw-pile in the fiel'. Lots of chil'ren was bo'n on a straw-pile in the fiel'. After the chile was bo'n he sent them to the house. That's not what I heard, but what I seed with these eyes. They had two trader yards. One was in Virginia, and one in New Orleans. Sometimes a thousand slaves would be there waiting to be sold. When the traders knowed that some big men from Texas and Tennessee was comin' to buy slaves, they made them all clean up. They greased their mouths with meat skins to make the buyers think they was feeding them plenty of meat. When the buyers come, they lined the slaves up in two rows .. wimmen on one side and men on the other. A buyer would walk up between the two rows and grab a woman and try to throw her down, and feel of her to see how she was put up. If she was pretty strong, he would say to the trader, "Is she a good breeder?" "How much is she worth?" If a girl was 18 or 19 years old and put up good she was worth 'bout $1,500. Then the buyer would pick out a strong, young Nigger boy 'bout the same age and buy him. When he got them home he say to them, "I want you two to stay together. I want young Niggers". He wouldn't take no 'mount of munney for that kind. If you ever run off the place and come back and Master say to you,

If you be a good Nigger, I'll not whip you this time", don't you believe that. We had a man run off that stayed on our place and stayed in the woods six months. When he come back he was as hairy as a cow. He lived in a cave and come out at night and pilfer 'round and steal sugar, meat and stuff to eat. They put the dogs on him several times but didn't catch him. Finally he decide to come home. Master say to him,  Tom , how you been gettin' along". Tom say, "I'se been living rich in that cave". Master say then,  If you be a good Nigger, I'll not whip you this time". Tom was crazy nuff to believe it. Master then say to the cook,  Go fix Tom a big dinner". While Tom was eating, he look up and Master was standing in the door with a whip, and say, "Tom, I'se changed my mind; you must learn to mind your Master, you had no business running off, and I'se going to take you out just like you come into the world". He then gets him a bottle of whiskey and a box of cigars and has Tom tied up out in the yard. He takes a chair and say to the "Driver", "Boy, take him down .. 250 licks this time". Then he'd count the licks as "Puh-wow" that cowhide would say. Mind you, when the "Driver" had put on 150 licks it didn't look like there is any place left to hit, but Master say, "Finish him up". Then he and the "Driver" would set down, smoke cigars and drink whiskey and Master would talk to the run-away 'bout how he must learn to mind his Master. Then they took him and locked him up in a log house and Master tell the other Niggers if they give him anything to eat that he will skin them alive. The old fo'ks would slip him bread and meat. He stayed there 'bout a week, and as soon as he was loose, he was gone again. There was plenty of Niggers that stayed in the woods till surrender. I hear some slaves say their white fo'ks was good to them, but it was a tight fight where I was. I'se thought over the case a thousand times, and figured that it was cause all men ain't made like. Some are bad and some are good. It's like that now.

Some fo'ks you wo'k for got no heart, and some treat you white. I guess it allus will be that way. There was more "ghosts" and "haunts" them days than now. It looked like when I was coming up that they was as common as pig tracks. They come in different forms and shapes, sometimes like a dog, a cat, goat, or like a man. I didn't believe in them till I seed one. A fellow I knowed could see them ever time he went out. One night we was walking long a country lane and he say "Jordon , look over my right shoulder". I looked and saw a man walking without a head. I broke and run plum off from the man I was with. He warn't scared of them. I was refugeed from Georgia to Anderson County, Texas 'fore the war. I seed Abe Lincoln once when he come through Anderson County, but didn't none of us know who he was. After that I hear the white fo'ks say that President Lincoln wanted them to agree to free slaves. They was to work the young Niggers on till they was twenty-one, but to free the older ones then. They say he give them thirty days to considerate it. The white fo'ks say that they'd wade blood saddle stirrup deep 'fore they would let us loose. I don't blame them. They paid $1,500 for some of their slaves. That was stepping on their just and right part. If a man buys and pays for something it is his. In another way, it was right to free us. We was brought here and no person is supposed to be made a brute. After surrender, Master Ab called us up and say we was free as he is, and could go, but if we stayed he'd give us part of what was made. Mother stayed, but I left with my Uncles and Aunts and went to Shreveport where the Yankees was. I didn't hear from my mother until twenty years after surrender. I went to see her in Palestine 'fore she died. In Ku Klux times, they come to our house. I just stood trembling all over, but they didn't bother us. I hear them say that lots of Niggers was took down in Sabine bottom and Ku Kluxed, just because they wanted to get rid of them. I think that it was desparadoes that done that stead of the Ku Klux. That was down in Panola County, in the "Bad Lands". Bill Bateman , Hulon Gresham , and Sidney Farney was desparadoes and would kill a Nigger just to get rid of him. Course lots of fo'ks was "riled" up at the Ku Kluxers and blamed them with everything. I'se voted here in Marshall. I don't hardly know 'bout the 'striction (restriction) of the Niggers voting. Every nation has a flag but the colored race. The flag is what protects them. We warn't invited here, but was brought here, and don't has no place else to go. We was brought under this Government, and it's right that we be led and told what to do by the Government. The colored man has been here more than a hundred years and has help make the United States what it is. During slavery they educated the Master's children. The only thing that will help the cause is the separation of the races. I'll not be here when that comes but it is bound to be cause the Bible says that someday all the races of people will be separated.

When I was growing up I never heard of a Nigger going to the penitentiary. They was made for the white fo'ks. Since 1865 till now the colored race has done nothing but go to destruction. There was a time when a man could control his wife and family, but you can't do it now. After surrender I went to Shreveport and steamboated on a line from Shreveport to New Orleans, then on a line from New Orleans to Vicksburg. The Shreveport to New Orleans run was a two days and night trip. Old hands was paid $15.00 a trip. Then I left Shreveport and come to Marshall, 'bout 1872, and railroaded thirty years. I worked on the section gang and in the shops. Since I quit railroading I farmed here in Harrison County. I'se had three wives and raised nineteen chil'ren. They are scattered all over the State. Since I was too old to farm, I'se worked at odd jobs round here in Marshall. The Government is now paying me a $10.00 a month pension.