I 'lieve I was nine or ten when freedom come, 'cause I was nursing for the white folks. Old massa was Charlie Weeks and he lived in Iberia. His sons, Willie and Ned , dey run business in de court house. One of de tax collector and de other lookin' after de land, and am de surveyor. Old missus named Mag Weeks . My pa named Dannis Joe and ma named Sabry Joe , and dey borned and raised on Weeks Island, in Louisiana. After de old massa die, dey was 'vided up and falls to Massa Charlie Weeks , and dat where I borned, in Iberia en Bayou Teche. Massa Charlie , he live in de big brick house with white columns and everybody what pass dere know dat place. Dey have de great big tomb in corner de yard, where dey buries all dey folks, but buries de cullud folks back of de quarters. Dey's well fix in Louisiana, but not so good after dey come to Texas. Dey used to have big Christmas in Louisiana and lots of things for us, and a big table and kill hawgs and have lots to eat. But old Missus Mag , she allus treat me like her own chillen and make me set at do table with dem and est. I was with Missus Mag en a visit to Mansfield when do war starts at six o'clock Sunday and go till six o'clock Monday. I went ever dat battlefield and look at dem sojers dey kill. David McGill , a young massa, he git kill. He uncle, William Weeks , what done hired him to jine the army in he place, he goes to the battlefield to look fer Massa David . De only way he knowed it was him, he have two gold eyetooth with diamonds in dem. Some dem hurt sojers was prayin' and some cussin'. You could hear some dem hollering, 'Oh, Gawd, help me.' Dey was layin' se think you have to step ever dem. "I seed de sojers in Iberia. Day take anythin' dey wants. Dey cotch de cow and kill it and eat it. Day have de camp dere and dey jus' carry en. I used to go to de camp, 'cause dey give me crackers and sardines. But after dat Mansfield battle dey have up white flags and dey ain't no more war dere. But while it gwine en, I go to do camp and sometimes dem sojers give me seat and barbecue. Day one place dere a lump salt big as dis house, and day set fire to de house and left dat big lump salt. Anywhere dey camp dey burns up de house. I didn't know I'm free till a man say to me, 'Siasy , ain't you know you ain't get no more massa or missus?' I say, 'No, suh.' But I stays with den till I git marry, and slep' right in dey house and nuss for dem. Dey give me do big weddin'. too. De noter public in Iberia, he marry us. My husband name Henry Smith and dat when I'm fifteen year old. I me big-limb and fat den I bigger dan what I is now. I ain't had no husband for a time. I can't cast de years, he been dead so long. Us have fifteen chillen, and seven livin' now.

Sperrits? I used to see dem. I scart of dem. Sometime day locks nat'ral and sometime like de shadow. Iffen day look like de shadow, jus' keep on lookin' at dem till dey looks nat'ral. Iffen you walks 'long, dey come right up side you. Iffen you looks ever you left shoulder, you see dem. Dey makes de air feel warm and you hair rise up, and a sometime day gives you de cold chills. You can fool it when dey with you. I set here and seed dem standin' in dat gate. Dey goes round like dey done when day a-livin'. Some say dey can't cress water. I heared talk of do bad mouth. A old woman put bad mouth en you and shake her hand at you, and befo' de day done you gwine be in do acciden'. I seed de Klu Klux. De Cajuns and redbones, I calls dem. Day ought to be sleepin'. One time I seed a man hangin' in de wood when I'm pickin' blackberries. His tongue hangin' out and de buzzards fly down on he shoulder. De booze set him to swingin' and de buzzards fly off. I tells de people and dey takes him down to bury. He a fine, young cullud man. I don't knew why dey done it. Dat after peace and do Yankees done gone back home. I been here in Texas a good while, and it such a rough read it get my 'membrance all stir up. I never been to school. 'cause I bound out to work. I lives with my daughter and dis child here my grandchild. I can't 'member no more. 'cause my head ain't good as it used to be.

It seemed that sleep wanted to overcome Susan Smith that warm summer afternoon as she tried to recall and narrate the story of her life. She was seated in a large rocking chair of some age. A black velvet hat on her head, a dress of black and white print, an apron of light blue, stockings but no shoes, constituted her costume. The contour of face, nose and lips was typical of her race. She found it necessary to pause in her recital to take a generous quid of rough cut tobacco from a paper package of a well-known manufacturer, and proceeded to derive much satisfaction from the weed. I b'leeve I was 'bout nine or ten year' ol' when freedom come 'cause I was nussin' for de white folks. Ol' marster was Charlie Weeks . He live' in Iberia. His sons, Willie Weeks and Ned Weeks , dey's runnin' business in de Courthouse. One of 'em is de Tax Collector and de other one is lookin' after de lan'. He de surveyor. Ol' missus name was Mag Weeks . Dey had t'ree sons, Jimmie , he de ol'es' and Willie de nex' and Ned de younges'. Dey had two gals, Dora and Pinkie . I help nuss de chillen befo' peace was declare'. I was wid my missus on a visit to Mansfiel' where de war (battle) start' six o'clock Sunday and go 'till six o'clock Monday. I went over de battlefiel' and look at de sojers dey kill'. I heerd 'em shootin'. I stood and look at 'em throwin' dem bomb shells. David McGill , a young marster, he git kill. It seem like Mr. William Weeks hire his sister' son, David McGill , to jine de army in he place. He put he arm 'roun' he sister and say he go to de battlefiel' and see if David git kill. So he go look and den he come back and say, 'Little David got kill'.' Miss Mag she say, 'Oh, don' say dat!' Den we go and see iffen he git kill. After while dey find him. De only way dey knowed it was him, he had two gol' eyeteeth wid diamonds in 'em and when dey look and see dem teeth dey knowed it was him. Some of de men was prayin' and some cussin'.

You could hear some of 'em hollerin' 'Oh, God, help me.' Dey was layin' so t'ick you hafter step over 'em After dey find young massa David , Massa Alfred and Willie Weeks dey git a coffin and put him in it and carry him back to Iberia and bury him dere. De way us happen to be at Mansfiel' was dis way. De sojers dey fit at Port Hudson. Den ol' marster brung his slaves to Texas. Dey start clearin' lan' to mek a crop and buil'in' log houses. Dem houses had dirt flo's and dirt mud chimney'. Dey went to Mansfiel' and visit marster John Gleaton . He ol' missus' brudder. All her people was in Richmon', Virginny, 'cep'n' her and her brudder. De men went on to Texas and start de new place. Dey lef' me dere wid de wimmen to help nuss. Dey stay dere at Mansfiel' 'bout t'ree mont's and den dey go back to Iberia. I see de sojers in Iberia. Dey didn' do nuthin' dere but pass froo. Oh, dey tek anyt'ing dey want. Dey ketch a cow and kill it and eat it. Dey had a camp dere. Dey jis' carry on. I uster go to de camp. I uster like to go to de camp 'cause dey gimme crackers and sardines. After dat battle at Mansfiel' dey had up white flags and dey warn't no mo' war. One po' somebody what love to go after dem sojers was me. I wash de dishes and clean up de house. I tek de white chillen and us go to de camp. Dey give us meat and barbecue. Dey was one place dere dey was a lump of salt as big as dis house. Dey had de salt sto' up in a house. Dey sot fire to de house and dat lef' dat big lump of salt. Anywhere dey camp dey burn up de house.

My pa' name was Dennis Joe and my mother name' Sabry Joe . Dey was bo'n and raise up on Weeks Islan', Lou'siana. After de Weekses chillun all growed up and de property come to be 'vided up, my pa and mother dey fell to mister Charlie Weeks , and dat where I was raise up, in Iberia on Bayou Teche. Marster he live in a big brick house wid big columns. Anybody pass t'rough dere know dat place. Dey had a great big tomb in de corner of de yard where dey bury all dey people. Dey had a buryin' groun' for de cullud folks back of de quarters. Dere was t'ree plantations out of what de ol' folks lef' 'vide out 'tween de t'ree brudders, Alfred and Willie and Charlie Weeks . De cullud folks was well fix up in Lou'siana, but not so much in Texas. Back dere dey live in good weather-board houses, but dey warn't ceiled. Dey had a lof' over 'em. De fam'lies what had right smart chillen had bigger houses. Dey uster hab big Crhis'mus. Dey had lots of t'ings for de cullud folks. Dey had a big table and kill hogs. Us had lots to eat. Dey give Fo'th of July holiday, too. When a young man want to marry a gal he speak to marster. De marster come wid de Bible and marry 'em. He give 'em a big weddin'. De preacher was Mr. John Gleaton . He one of ol' missus' brudder, I b'leeve. I sho' love to see Mr. Gleaton preach. De white and de cullud all go to one chu'ch. De white people sot on one side and de cullud folks was on de other side. When dey hab baptisin' dey baptise de white and de cullud all de same day. Marse John Gleaton he was a Baptis' preacher. I's a Baptis' and all my people is. When I come to Beaumont I uster b'long to Sweet Home Baptis' Chu'ch, but dat's up in Nor'f en' and I, when I move down here I couldn' git over dere to go to chu'ch. Now, I b'long to de First Bo'n Speciality Chu'ch. Dat's another Baptis' Chu'ch in dis en' of town. Over in Lou'siana de white folks uster come to de cullud folks chu'ch and dey uster love to come, too." De cullud folks on de ol' plantation uster have house to house prayer meetin's. Miss Mag she uster come in eb'ry house and hol' prayer meetin'. She go to one house one Sunday and another house de nex' Sunday 'till she go all 'roun' de quarters. And she could pray, too, lemme tell you. Sometime she git so happy she git to shoutin'.

I hear 'em say ol' missus didn' 'low no overseer beat de cullud folks and ol' marster didn' needer. Iffen de overseer beat de cullud folks ol' marster tu'n him off. He didn' 'low no gal to marry under 18 or 19, nor no boy under 22 or 23. He didn' put de ol' men and women in de fiel' wid de other niggers. Dey put de ol' niggers to wuk shuckin' co'n and pickin' seed co'n. My mother uster cook and feed de chillen and tend to de chillen. T'ree year' befo' freedom dey give her dat wuk to do. Ol' missus treat' me like her own chillen. At breakfas' and dinner dey mek me set at de table wid 'em and eat. Dey crack all sorts of jokes at me so dey laff at de table. I got jis' what dey eat. Dey mek monkey outer me at de table. One time dey gimme a piece of steak. Dey had a li'l fice dog what dey name Fido. I hab dat piece of steak in my han' and when I tu'n my head Fido jump up and tek my steak. Dat mek me mad and I mos' choke dat Fido to dea'f. Dey say, 'Don' kill Fido.' I say, 'I chokin' her 'cause she tek my steak.' Dey say, 'I give you mo' steak,' but I say, 'I don' like no dog to jump up and tek my steak outen my han'.' 'It git me all rile up.' Lots of time after dat some of 'em come 'roun' and say, 'Susanna , Fido tek any mo' of your steak?, and laff and laff. I didn' know when I free 'till a man come up to me and say, 'Sissy, ain't you know you ain't got no mo' marster or missus? I say, 'No, sah.' He say, 'Well, you ain't, you free.' Dey should pay you.' After freedom I stay wid 'em 'till I git marry. Dey didn' give me a home. I slep' right in de house wid 'em. I nuss for 'em. Dey gimme what I eat and my clo'se 'till I marry. Den dey marry me off. Dey gimme a big weddin', too. De Noter Public in Iberia he marry us. My husban' name was Henry Smith . Dat was when I fifteen year' ol'. I was so big-lim' and fat I was bigger den dan what I is now. I ain't had no husban' for a time. I can't cast de years. I can't keep de count, he been dead so long. Us had 15 chillen, ten boy' and five gal'. Dey's seben livin' now.

Sperrits? I uster see 'em. I scared of 'em. Sometime dey look nat'ral and sometime dey look like a shadder. Iffen dey look like a shadder, jis' keep on lookin' at 'em 'till dey look nat'ral. Sometime you kin tell who dey is. Iffen you walk 'long, dey right up side of you. Iffen you look over your lef' shoulder you see 'em. Dey mek de air feel warm and your hair rise up. Sometime dey gives you de col' chills. You kin feel it when dey wid you. I's sot here and seen 'em stan'in' in dat gate. Dey goes 'roun' like dey done when dey was a-livin'. Some say dey can't cross water, but dey mus' kin 'cause I see my uncle. I say, 'Uncle, what you doin' here? He say, 'I come to see 'bout you. What for you stay 'way from de res' of de fam'ly for?' And den he ain't say no mo'. People what's bo'n wid a cord or veil over dey face kin see 'em and not be scared of 'em. I's heerd talk of bad mou'f. A ol' woman put bad mou'f on you and shake her han' at you, befo' de day out you gwine be in a accident. Dey neber put none on me 'cause I ain't sass nobody. I has seed de Klu Klux when dey come after cullud folks. Po' Cajuns and redbones, I calls 'em. Dey orter be sleepin'. Dey comes 'roun' and kill cullud folks. Dey orter be out wukkin' and mekkin' a livin'. One time I see a man hangin' in de wood when I was pickin' blackberries. His tongue was hangin' out. De buzzards fly down on his shoulder. When de breeze blow, it set him to swingin' and de buzzards fly off. I go and tell de people. Dey come and tek him down and bury him. He a fine young cullud man. I don' know why dey done it. De folks miss him but dey didn' know what become of him. Dat was after peace and de Yankees done gone back home. I knowed only one Yankee. Dey call him Yankee Thompson . He neber did fight. He come dere after de war. I has spin and weave. I's sot befo' a loom and knock off ten yards of clo'f so quick. My mother uster tek a hank of yarn and put it on. She uster dye it wid walnut bark and hull of maple bark, and put it on de loom. She could put any stripe in it she want to. I's weaved counterpane, too. I's been here in Texas a good while, 'bout 30 year', and it such a rough road it got my 'membrance all stir' up. I's had lots of sickness, too. I's had flu durin' de Worl' War and it went into plu'sy (pleurisy) on bofe sides. I uster see 'em set up late into de night and tell riddles but I forgit 'em, now. Oh, gramma,' said a 10 year old girl seated on the floor, 'you know some of dem riddles you uster tell us. Now, you done come and got in de battle,' she said rebukingly. Dat's de way wid chillen dese days. Dey let dey hat be on de flo' too much. Iffen you let yo' hat lay on de flo' it keep you from bein' steady minded, but iffen you keep it on yo' head you be steady minded. I neber went to school. I was boun' out to wuk. Dem dat did went to school didn' had de sense in dey head dat I did.