De I 'member slavery days? Yes, suh! How could I forgit dem? For an old person I has good 'collection. I's 10 year old when de war start and my massa am Calvin Ingram . My mammy and pappy was a weddin' present to Massa Ingram from his pappy. Mammy give birth to 15 chilluns, but I never saw any of my brothers and sisters, 'cause they all born on Massa Ingram' s pappy's plantation 'fore he give my mammy to Massa Ingram . De plantation dat Massa Ingram have was 200 acres or mo'. Him own 'bout 20 grown-up slaves, and on dat place dey raisin 'bout everything we eats and wears, includin' de vinegar and de peach brandy. Everybody am 'signed to dey duties and my mammy am chief cook for de big house. I he'ps her and feeds chickens, gits eggs and totes water. Do treatmen' couldn't be better. Massa am de bestes' and de kindes' fellow dat ever live. He am in Heaven, for she', but de missy mus' be in Hell, for she sho' was a debbil. Massa have de fight with her lots of times 'bout de treatment of us, but he wouldn't let her 'buse us. We'una was never hongry for food, 'cause we have lots of meat, chickens and eggs and cornmeal and 'lasses and honey. De hams is smoked on de place and dey am de hams, white man, dey am de hams! Don massa have a big cellar jus' full of everything and I never forgit de big, brass key what look dat cellar. Dere was de jams and de jollies and de preserves, and de massa give us somethin' of all of dat. Him makes do gran' peach brandy and every mornin' we could have two fingers in do glass. 'Twas de same at night. Dere was somethin' else was reg'lar every mornin' and night and dat am de prayer. He calls all us together and says de prayers. I often thinks of dat brandy and de prayers, two times every day.

As for de whuppin,' dere wasn't any on massa's place. Him have only one nigger what am unruly and dat am Bill McClure , and a bigger thief never lived. On de nex' plantation dey gives de whuppin' and we hears dem niggers holler. On dat plantation dey trades and sells de niggers all de time and de speculation wagon comes by often. Sometime it am awful to sea de babies sold from de mothers and de wife from de husban'. Sich bomcanin' at some of dem sales, yous jus' can't 'magine. But on massa's place we has no tradin' of slaves and we'uns have pass for go to church and parties and de dance. When de night for de party come on our place, de yard am cleaned off and we makes sandwiches. One time massa come to me and say, 'Jus' wait a minute, I nearly forgits de mos' 'portant part,' and he give me a new pink dress. I's so happy I cries for joy, and everybody says I looks like de Queen of Sheba. De other big time am de corn makin' bee. Once a year all de neighbors comes fust to one place den to do other. At de makin's, dey gives de prize when you finds a red ear. De prize an two fingers of dat peach brandy. When dey gits de fus' one dey works a little harder, de second still faster, and de third, Lawd-a-massy, how dem husks de fly! Dey don't git drunk, 'cause you am lucky to find as much as three red ears at one huskin'. We has de weddin's too, but no preacher or cer'mony. When a man sees a girl him likes and de girl am willin', dey says dey wants a weddin'. De womens cooks extra and dey gits do cedar boughs and wets dem and sprinkles flour on dem and puts dem on de table. We sits at de table and eats and sings 'ligious songs and after supper dey pats de broom on de floor and de couple takes de hands and steps over de broom, and den dey am put to bed. We was never bother with de patter rollers, but I 'members a song 'bout dem, like dis: Up de hill and down de hollow Patter rollers cotched nigger by de collar; Dat nigger run, dat nigger flew, Dat nigger tear his shirt in two.' c"In de war soldiers comes to massa's place and every time he feeds dem. You hears do clippity clop of de hosses and dey is off de saddle 'fore you gits to de door. Dey says, 'We wants de meal,' or maybe dey wants to sleep. Massa's wife say, 'I's not goin' do nothin' for dem blue bellies,' but massa make her fix de chicken. Dere was everything dere but manners, 'cause dey have de pistols drawed. After freedom, mos' of us stays with massa, 'cause we don't know where to go and we don't want to go, but 'fore long massa dies and dat was mournin' time. After de death, we all leaves. I marries Bill Thompson but he won't work so after 15 year I gits de divorcement.

Penny Thompson , 86, now living at 1100 E. 12th St., Ft. Worth, Texas, was born a slave to Mr. Calvin Ingram , who at that time owned a plantation in Coosa County, Alabama. Her parents were a wedding present from his father. Penny's mother gave birth to 15 children. All were separated after freedom. Wm. Ingram moved to Tyler, Texas in 1867, taking Penny with him. In 1870, she married Ike Thompson of Tyler. Three children were born to them before their divorce in 1885. Penny was very fortunate in that she had a very considerate master. Her story:

Do Ise 'membahs de slavery days? Yas sar! How could Ise fo'gits dem? Dem days am fresh in my mind jus' lak 'twas yestahday. Fo' an ol' person, Ise have good 'ecollection. Ise 86 yeahs ol', dat put me ten yeahs ol' w'en de wah stahts. Ise 'membahs dat well an' befo' de wah, too. My Marster am Calvin Ingram . Ise bo'n on his plantation in Coosa County, Alabama. My mammy an' pappy was a weddin' present, given to dem by Marster's father w'en de Marster an' his missy git mai'ied. My mammy give birth to fifteen chilluns, but Ise de only one bo'n at de Marster's place. De udder niggers am bo'n on John Ingram's place, dat am de father ob de Marster. Yous see, all my brudders an' sistahs am sep'rated f'om me, an' Ise never see dem. De plantation dat de Marster have is 200 acres. Him own 'bout 20 slaves. On dat place, deys raise 'bout ever'thin' dat weuns eats an' wears, includin' de vinegah an' de peach brandy. Ever'body am 'signed to deys main duties. My mammy am de chief cook fo' de Marster's fam'ly. Ise he'p my mammy wid de house wo'k an' he'ps wid de chores, sich as feed de chickens, git de eggs, tote de wauter, an' de lak. As fo' de treatment, dat couldn't be bettah. De Marster am de bes', an' de kin'est fellah dat ever lived. He am in heaven, fo' sho! But de Missy mus' be in hell fo' she sho was a devil. De Marster have de fight wid her lots ob times 'bout de treatment ob weuns. He won't let her 'buse de niggers. Weuns was never hongry fo' food. Dere was always lots ob meat, chicken, eggs, veg'tables, co'n meal, 'lasses an' honey. De hams, weuns smoke on de place. Deys am de hams, w'ite man, w'at am hams. Marster have a big cellar jus' full ob ever'thin'. He keeps dat locked, Ise never fo'git dat key, it was a big brass one. Ise can see dat key now. Ise use to lak to go in de cellar wid de Marster, 'cause dere am de jams, jellies, an' preserves an' ever'thin' good to eat. Lawd! how Ise could 'joy some ob dat now.

Moslie , light de fiah an' staht de dinnah. W'ite man, Ise gittin' hongry. Did weuns git any ob de jellies an' sich? Sho! de Marster gives weuns some ob ever'thin' on de place dat dey have fo' to eat. W'y, him makes peach brandy, f'om de peaches. Ever' mo'nin', befo' breakfas', if weuns wants it, weuns can have two fingahs in de glass. 'Twas de same at night. Dere was somethin' else dat was reg'lar ever' mo'nin' an' night an' dat am de prayer. Yas sar! Ever' mo'nin' an'night he calls all us niggers together an' says de prayers. Ise often think of dat brandy an' prayers, two times ever'day. As fo' de whuppin', dere warnt any on de Marster's place. Him won' have any nigger on de place dat him have to whups. Marster have only one nigger dat am some w'at unruly. Dat am Bill McClure , an' a bigger thief never lived. Him would steal in spite ob de devil but Marster never whups him fo' dat even. No, de Marster never sol' Bill . De Marster never sol' one nigger, him says 'twarnt right, dat 'twas against de law ob God. So hims jus' keeps ol' Bill . Once hims have a nigger dat he could do nothin' wid. Dat nigger, him give away. On de plantation next to weuns, deys give de whuppin'. Ise never see any, but Lawd a massie, Ise heah dem niggers beller, 'cause ob de whuppin' an' Ise am tol' by de udder neggers how dey am 'bused. On dat plantation deys trade an' sell niggers all de time. De speculation waggin (negro traders) come by often. Dey stops 'cross de road f'om de Marster's place an' all de Marsters come dere fo' to trade niggers. Some time it am awful fo' to see de babies sol' f'om de mothers, de wife f'om de husban' an' sich. Sich bemoanin' at some ob dem sales, you jus' can't 'magine. Ise sho 'preciates Marster Ingram w'en Ise heah how de udder niggers am treated. W'y, on de Marster's place, weuns have de pass fo' to go to chu'ch an' heah de w'ite preacherman, an' fo' to go to de parties, de dances, an' weuns have parties on de place. Now, 'twas dis away, if one ob de young nigger girls wants de party, her tells de Marster. Den he says, "All right, weuns have it sich an' sich a time." Ise tell yous 'bout one ob my parties, dat will 'splain

W'en de night ob de party come, 'twas Satiday night an' ever'thin' am fixed. De place in de yahd am cleaned off, san'wiches am fixed, de cullud fo'ks come who am 'vited. Den w'en weuns am ready to staht de doin', sich as dance an' sing, de Marster come an' says, "Jus' wait a minute, Ise nearly fo'gits de mos' 'portant part". Den hims takes outer a package, a new pink dress an' says to me, "Go put dat on." To says Ise s'prised, 'twarnt no word fo' it. Well, Ise goes fo' to put dat dress on, Ise so happy Ise cry fo' joy. Den w'en Ise come back wid dat dress on, 'twas jus' a plain dress, but Ise thought 'twas de bes' ever. De Marster says, "She looks lak de queen ob Sheba." Ever'body says de dress am so prutty an' sich. Yous know w'at deys done? De seamstress make dat dress an' Ise not tol' 'bout it 'cause de Marster tell dem fo' to s'prise me. Now, dat am some ob de good times weuns have. Dere am anudder thin' 'bout de parties dat Ise wants to tell dats diffe'nt f'om now. De cullud fo'ks don' let de younguns pester 'roun' all night lak Ise see now, sometimes 'til two or three in de mo'nin', gittin' all diseased up. No sar! W'en de certain time come yous would heah fust one, den de udder, holler way off, W-O-O-E-E, den de udder W-O-O-E-E. Dat means, come home. Den de ol' fo'ks takes de younguns home. W'en dey comes to de home wid de chil's, dey says p'lite lak, "Sir, Ise brought your chil's safe home." Den de parent say, "T'ank you so much." Dats de way dey does den. De udder big time am de co'n huskin' bees. Dem days, once a yeah, all de neighbors come fust to one place, den to de udder, 'til dey makes de 'roun's. At de huskin's, deys give de prize, or somethin' w'en one fin's a red ear. De two fingahs glass ob brandy. W'en dey gits de fust one, dey wo'ks a little fastah, de secon' still fastah an' wid de third, Lawd a massie, how dem husks do fly! Dey don' gits drunk, 'cause yous am lucky fo' to fin' as many as three ears at one spell ob huskin'. Weuns have de weddin's, too. W'en de couple git mai'ied, 'twarnt no preachah ce'emony, 'cause weuns have none fo' dat, but 'twas de bes' we knows. Now den, de weddin' am dis away. W'en a man see a girl him laks an' de girl am willin', deys says deys am goin' to git mai'ied an' wants de weddin'. Den de cullud womens cooks de extry fo' de suppah. Fo' de dec'rations, deys gits de cedah bows, wets dem an' sprinkles flouah on dem. Dey am den w'ite an' weuns put dem on de table. De suppah time come, de fo'ks sit at de table, eats an' sings 'eligious songs dat weuns larn at de preachin'. W'en de suppah am over, dey put de broom on de flooah an' de couple takes de han's an' steps over de broom, den deys am puts to bed. Den all leave a singin'. Now, yous ask 'bout de Patter Rollers, 'course weuns heah 'bout dem, but none ob us niggers am bothered by dem. Weuns don' go away wid out de pass an' don' go whar weuns warnt 'sposed to. Dere am a song 'bout de Patter Rollers. Ise can't 'membahs it as 'twas, but its somethin' lak dis: Up the hill and down the holler Patter Rollers caught dat nigger by de collar Dat nigger run and dat nigger flew Dat nigger tore his shirt in two." Once jus' befoah de wah stahts, 'twas some men come to de nigger qua'ters. Ise don' know w'at dey am called, but dey come at night. Marster am sick abed den. De mens says to my mammy an' some udder niggers, dat dey would be back sich an' sich a night, an' those dat wants freedom, deys am gwine to take wid dem an' warns dem not to says a word.

De next day, Ise am a thinkin' 'bout dat. Ise love my Marster an' Ise 'fraid dat dey am gwine to takes me away. Ise begin to cry. Ise den goes to de Marster's bed a cryin' an' says to him, Ise don' want to go away." He ask w'at Ise mean 'bout go away. So Ise tol' him w'at de mans says. He says to me, "Stop cryin', yous aint goin' away wid any mens." He send me over to John Barrow's house wid a note to him. Marster Barrow den come to de Marster's house an' de Marster tells him w'at Ise tol'. Now, de night w'en de mens am 'spose to come, Marster have all de niggers hade out an' de w'ite men am in de qua'ters wid de long pistols. Ise don' know w'at am said w'en de fellahs come, but weuns heahs couple shots, 'twarnt any killed. Dat am de last weuns heahs ob sich. Aftah de wah stahts, weuns seen thousand head ob soldiers pass. Ise don' notice any diffe'ence durin' de wah, 'cept seein' de soldiers. Ise don' 'collect, but 'twas 'twards de last ob de wah dat soldiers often come to de Marster's place. Deys have blue coats wid brass buttons, blue caps an' brass buttons on dem. Ever' time deys come, de Marster feeds dem. Ise guess 'twas 'cause de Marster treats dem right dat de Marster never was raided likes dey done to some ob de neighbors an' takes all dere food. W'en dey come, yous heah de clippty clap, clippty clap ob de hosses feet an' dey am at de doah befoah yous knows it. Deys tie dere hosses an' off wid de saddles befoah yous can gits to de doah. Deys don' wait fo' yous to says, "Hello, come in, sar." Deys right away says, "Weuns wants de meal", or what ever deys want. Maybe its fo' to sleep. De furst time deys come to de neighbors house, de Marster's wife warnt gwine to feed dem. De Marster says to his wife, "Go see 'bout havin' some dinnah cooked fo' these men." She answers him right in f'ont ob de men an' says, "Ise not gwine to do anythin' fo' de blue bellies." Yous know dem men makes dat woman go in de kitchen, an' makes her fix de chicken wid her own han's an' serve dem. Dere was ever'thin' dere but manners, an' dey have de pistols drawed. Fo'ks says, aftah dat, she stahts de cookin' de day befoah she heahs deys am comin'. W'en freedom come, Marster gave weuns lots ob confidence money (confederate). Weuns play wid it. Marster tol' weuns dat we was free an' dat hims glad ob it. Dat we could go an' make a home fo' ourselves an' 'vised us to do it. Ise never fo'git how he stops ta'kin' to all us an' turns to Bill McClure an' says, "Bill , yous sho gwine to lan' in de jail if yous don' change yo' ways. Yous will have to stop stealin'". Most all us stayed, but 'twarnt long till de Marster dies. Dat was mo'nin' time on dat place. Ise still feel sorry w'en Ise think ob de Marster. Aftah de death, weuns all leaves. Ise mai'ied a short time aftah dat to Bill Thompson of Tyler, an' weuns rent some land. Bill was de good wo'kah at furst, but him change his ways aftah weuns am mai'ied. Him gits worst an' worst. Yas sar! him gits so dat him leans 'ginst de fence a chewin' de quid ob t'baccy a spittin' an' jus' watch dis nigger wo'k. W'at fo' does Ise want sich nigger? Ise have no use fo' him, so aftah fifteen yeahs, Ise gits de divo'cement. Ise since have wo'ked fo' myse'f an' does good since Ise don' have to care fo' de t'baccy chewin' nigger. Ise now gits de pension ob $15.00 ever' month. Ise am gwine to ask yous fo' to do me de favo'. If, w'en yous go 'roun' ta'kin' to de ol' slaves, yous meet up wid one dat was de slave ob John Ingram of Coosa County, Alabama, will yous tell dis nigger. To see some is de one thin' Ise pray de Lawd fo'. Now don' fo'git 'bout my sistahs, if yous see any ob dem, does me dat favo' yous promised, an' de Lawd bless you.