Yas, suh, I'se an ol' slave and I's 'bout 11 years ol' when de war starts. My marster am Jack Taylor and my family belongs to him. I 'members de war well, 'cause we'uns hears shootin' and see soldiers. Dey comes to marster's place and takes hosses and vittals. One time dey wants some of de niggers for to help fix for de battle. Dere am heap of 'citement and de marster's 'fraid de battle come too close. He say, 'It's too close for saftment.' And he say, 'Put dis and dat away so de soldier cain't find it.' I starts work long 'fore dat, When I'se seven, in do cotton and co'n field. I just puddles 'round first. Marster she' am good to us and so good dat de other white folks calls us de 'free niggers. We'uns have cabins for to live in and sleep in bunks with straw ticks on 'em. We'uns has lots to eat, all we wants. And we'un have all de clothes we needs, we went to church with de marster. Dey tol' us 'bout Heaven and de devil and sich. But day never 'lows us to have books in de hands. Dey says it wasn' good for us to larn readin' or writin We'uns has lots of music on dat place 'cause de marster, he an de good fiddler and he learns some of us niggers to play de fiddle and de banjo. We gits together and has de music, sing and dance. If I thinks 'bout dem days now, I can see we'uns dancin' and hear de singin' of dem ol' songs, sich like Ol' Black Joe and Swanee River. Iffen I thinks too much 'boat dem days, tears comes in dis ol' nigger's eyes. Dem were de happy days of my life. In dem days, we'uns not know what am money, never have any. What for we'uns need it? I'se more happy den, dan I been since, with money. De marster am hurt for to lose all de hosses and everything, 'cause dey takes it for de army man, so he gits to thinkin' 'bout movin' to Texas. De war warn't over when he goes to Texas and takes all us niggers with him. De roads dem days was not so good. No bridges over de rivers, 'cept de bigges' ones. Lots of times we'uns has to push for help de hosses pull de wagons outta de mudhole, and we'uns is over a month gettin' to Williams County. De marster rents de land dere and we stays for one crop, and den we all goes to Travis County, what marster settle for to raise de wheat.

When freedom comes, de marster says we'uns has to work for wages and buy all de food and de clothes and everything dat we'uns gits. Dat's not so easy. At first he pays no $5.00 a month and den pays me $10.00 de month. After three years I quits and rents a farm and works for myself. I gits married in 1877 and my wife dies in 1915. We'uns has one chile. In 1898 I comes to Fort Worth and gits to a job in do woodyard and sich. White man, I she' likes for to see dat ol' plantation down in Louisiana and it would do dis ol' darky good. I sits here and thinks of do marster and do good times. And do fishin down dere! Is dere good fishin'? Do folks here don' know what an fishin'. You has dis nigger thinkin' heaps 'bout do ol' plantation and de good times. If I don' step talkin' 'bout dat, I gits to cryin'.

Guy Stewart , 87, 209 Austin Ave., Ft. Worth, Born Nov. 26, 1850, slave of Jack Taylor along with his parents, three brothers and three sisters in Mansfield Parish, Louisiana. Because of kind treatment the 30 Taylor slaves were referred to as "free niggers". Stewart started work in the fields at 7 and remained with Taylor three years after emancipation, leaving to operate a farm of his own. He married in 1877, had a child that died; in 1915 his wife died. In 1898 he came to Ft. Worth where he has since worked in a wood yard.

Yas suh, Ise am ol' slave. Ise bo'n Novbemuh 26th, 1850. Dat makes dis nigger eighty seben yeahs ol'. Ise 'bout eleben yeahs ol' w'ens da wah starts. My Marster am Jack Taylor of Mansfield Parish, Lewzianna. Mah Mammy and Pap, three brother's and three sisters belongs to him, too. Ise 'membahs de wah well 'cause weuns hears dere shottin' an' see de soldiers. Dey comes to Marster's place and tuk hos'es and helps dem selves to de vittals. One time deys come fo' some ob de Marster's niggers fo' to helps fix fo' de battle. Dere am heap ob 'citement, den de Marster 'fraid de battle come to his place. De Marster sez, "'twas too close fo' saftment". Ise too young fo' to unde'stand whats de danger am, but Ise hear de Marster tells de ol' niggers, "be ca'ful, puts dis and dat away so dat de soldie' kaint finds it. Ise hear de w'ite fo'ks talk 'bout free de nigger if de Yankeman win de wah. Ise thot if de Yankee wins Ise hab to lebe de Marster, dat skeert dis nigger 'cause Ise don't want to lebe and Ise hab no place to go. Ise wants de Yankee fo' to get licked. De neighbors comes and talks wid de Marster, some ob dem sons in de army; some ob de wimmens hab de husband in dere and deys am skeert. W'en deys hear de shootin' den deys cry. Dere whar lots gets kill. Ise hear dat f'om de three cl' niggers dat goes fo' to help fix fo' de battle. Deys sez lot ob mens laid on de ground an' hoses, too. Deys tell 'bout de lim' of de tree am shot off an' some ob de trees am shot down. De Marster hab no one in de army, but hims skeert fo' to lose all de hoses and eber thin' weuns hab fo' to eat 'cause deys takes it fo' de army man. Dat am de 'cause fo' de Marster gets a thinkin' 'bout movin' to Texas. De wah 'twarnt ober w'ens de Marster libes fo' Texas and him takes allus niggers wid him. Ise starts work w'ens Ise seben yeahs ol' in de cotton an' co'n field. Ise j'st peddels 'round furst. In de field am whar de Marster works dis nigger alls de time. Marster Taylor he am sho good to weuns cullud fo'ks. He am so good dat de tudder w'ite fo'ks calls us de "free niggers". Marster sez, "If youes wants to keep da nigger workin' good, treat him good", and he sho do dat. He sho gets da work f'om weuns 'cause weuns am glad fo' to work hard fo' hims.

Weuns hab cabbins fo' to libe in. One to de family. Weuns sleep in da bunks dat hab straw ticks on dem. Weuns hab lots to eat, meat, veg'bles, co'n bread, w'ite flouah biscuts, milk, 'lasses and some times fishes, dats w'ens weuns catch dem. De Marster alls de time hab 'bout hund'ed hawgs fo' to make meat. De wimmens makes all de cloth and de clothes, weuns hab alls ob de clothes weuns need. Sho! weuns went to chu'ch and hear de p'eachin'. Weuns goes wid de Marster. Deys larned us 'bout de good book and de Lawd and hows fo' to pray. Deys tell weuns 'bout heben an' de debel and sich. No, deys neber 'llows us to hab a book in our hand, deys not wants us to larn de read and 'rite. Dey sez 'twarnt good fo' us cullud fo'ks. Thar am lots ob music on dat place. De Marster am good fiddler, he larnes some ob de niggers hows to play de fiddel and some de banjo. Lots ob times all us gets tugather, weuns den plays de music, sing and dance. If Ise think 'bout dem dey now, Ise can see weuns dancin' and hears de singin' ob dem ol' songs. Sick as Ol' Black Joe, Massa In De Cold G'ound, Swannie Ribber and udder sich songs. Deys am bette' dem de songs now days. Often Ise gets lonesome fo' dem days 'gain. If Ise think too much 'bout dat tears comes in dis ol' nigger's eyes. Dem whar de happy days ob my life. In dem days, weuns do not know whats am money, neber hab any. Whats fo' weuns need it? Ise more happy den dan Ise been since wid money. Ise told youes 'bout Marster 'cidin' to comes to Texas, 'cause hes am skeert fo' to lose ebery thin'. He sez one day, Ise sold dis place weuns alls gwine to Texas". Den weuns gets de o'der fo' to pack. Weuns packs eber thin' dat weuns takes in ten cove'ed wagons. Hiches de hoses and de mules to dem and starts fo' de Texas, wid all us niggers. De roads dem days am not so good, 'tarnt bridges ober de ribber 'cept de big uns. Weuns hab hard time gwine ober some ob de places. Lots ob de time allus niggers hab to push fo' to help de hoses pulls de wagon outter de mud hole. Weuns am ober a month gettin' to Williams County. Dats whar de Marster rents de lan' and weuns stays fo' one crop. Den de Marster goes to Travis County, whar he settle fo' to raise de wheat. Marster died de May befo' freedom and den his wife b'other comes takes cha'ge ob de place. Youse see de Marster's boys am too young fo' to looks aftah de place.

W'ens freedom comes Marster Jones , dats de new Marster, calls allus tugather' and tells us w'ens are free and sez, "Ise gwine to tell youes what Ise knows de Marster Taylor would wants me to". He tells dat w'ens work fo' wages dat wid de money weuns hab to buy alls our food, clothes and eber thin' dat weuns gets. Dat 'twarnt be so easy 'less weuns use jedgment. He tells weuns dat 'cause weuns am free dat its don't means dat weuns can does what weuns want. Dat weuns must obey de law and hab 'spectable fo' tudder fo'ks. Since dat Ise larned dat hes tells weuns de powe'ful t'uth. Some fool niggers does what hims tells dem not to do and deys gets into heaps ob tubble. The Klux gets aftah dem and deys gets whuppin'. Ise stays wid Marster Jones fo' three yeahs. At furst him pays me $5 de month, dem he pays $10. Afteh Ise quit de Marster Ise gets me a rented farm and works dat fo' myself. Ise gets mai'ied in 1877; weuns hab one chil's. De chil's died w'ens it am fouah yeahs ol'. My wife dies in 1915. In 1898, Ise comes to Fort Worth. Ise gets me job in de wood yard, and sich am whats Ise works at most ob de time. W'ite man, Ise sho liks fo' to see dat old plant'tion down in Lewezianna 'would do dis ol' darky good. Ise could sit dere and think ob de ol' Marster and de good times. De nex' Ise do 'twould be goes fishin'. Is dere good fishin'? Lawd a masse, Ise sez dere is. De fo'ks hear don't know what am fishin'. Down dere youes can catch lots and big uns. Ise catch some fish dat am so big Ise can't gets dem out ob de wurter. De Marster useter send some ob weuns fishin' w'ens deys wants fish. Weuns, most ob de time, catch fo' de Marster and 'nough fo' all de cullud fo'ks. W'ite fo'ks youes hab dis nigger thinkin' heaps 'bout de ol' plant'tion and de good times. If Ise don't stop talkin' 'bout dat Ise gets to cryin' den can't talk.