I was knocking 'round as a good sized chap way back yonder in Buckanan's and Henry Clay's time. I was bo'n in 1849, in Mobile, Alabama, and belonged to Sam Lampkin . I don't know where my father come from to the Lampkins , but he was sold to them and we allus kept the name of his first Master Walton . My mother was an Alabamian. Their names was Riley and Martha Walton . I had four brothers and four sisters  Robert , Jim , Richard , Alex , Anna , Dora , Isabella , and Bettie . I couldn't tell nothing 'bout my grandpeople cause I never seed them. My Master was Sam Lampkin , and my Mistress was named Mary . They had three girls and one boy  George , Minnie , Fannie and Mack . My first home was in Alabama, but the Lampkins refugeed us to Mississippi when I was 'bout six years old. They lived in a big frame house on Salt Water Creek. We lived in a log "qua'ters", slep on rough rail beds and had plenty to eat  peas, cushaws, pumpkins, rice and other truck we raised on the place. We got plenty of fish out of Salt Water Creek. The first work I done in slavery was toting (carrying) water and dinner to the fiel' hands. They put the dinner in gourd buckets. We hadn't heard of tin buckets then. Master allus blowed a horn at four o'clock and you'd better be ready to gwye (go). The hands worked from sun to sun, and if the overseer see them slacking up on their work he stormed out at them, cussed (cursed) them and sometimes whacked them with a bull whip. I'se seed Niggers whipped till their shirt stuck to their back till it took salt water to get it loose. I seed my mother whipped for shouting at the white fo'ks meeting. Old Master stripped her clothes down to her waist and whipped her with a bull whip. Heaps of them was whipped just cause they could be whipped. Some of the owners half fed their hands and then whipped them for begging for grub. After our fo'ks come in from the fiel' they et supper and some of them went down to Salt Water Creek and catch fish and crabs. After we come to Louisiana, they had to spin at night. I'se heard the spinning wheel running at night just like it was day. Sometime they give us Friday after dinner off to wash clothes for Sunday. We took Christmas day. Master allus give the Niggers a little present of some kind. Mostly it was something to wear that he was going to have to get for them anyhow. The white fo'ks celebrated Christmas with a big dinner and singing old time Christmas songs. They had a time. My Master never had but one white overseer. He got kilt (killed) fighting. The hands was burning logs and trash and the overseer knocked an old man down and made some of the other Niggers hold him while he bull-whipped him. The old man got up and picked up a stick and knocked him in the head and then took a ax and cut off his hands and feet. Master said he didn't ever want another white overseer, and made my cousin "overlooker" after that. I'se seen Niggers by the droves chained and driv' like cows and horses.

Speculators used to come through the country and steal chil'ren from the big road. My wife's brother had one stole that way and never seed him again. There warn't no jails for Niggers in slavery time. They was for hoss (horse) thieves and murderers, but the Niggers is sho making good use of the jails now. We had churches 'round in the country, but not on our place during slavery time. They read the Bible lots to the colored people. The fo'ks had their own prayer meetings on our place. That was 'bout the biggest pleasure they had. We used to slip off and go to dances and parties, but the "Pattyrollers" come and run us home with hounds. The white and black chil'ren played together on our place. There was 'bout sixty of us in all. We used to go down to the wash hole 'bout middle of the afternoon and stay till night. The old colored fo'ks told us ghost stories they got from the white fo'ks, and we believed them too. I never seed "ghostes" but once. That was after I was married and come to Harrison County. Me and some more men was walking down the Shreveport road. We looked down the road and saw a big house that was all lit up and there was fiddling and dancing going on inside. When we got close to the house all music stopped and it was so quiet you could hear a pin drap, and the lights went out. When we got on passed it a piece it lit up and the fiddling and dancing started again. I warn't scared, but we didn't hang 'round to see what caused it to do that way. Heaps of the colored fo'ks on our place could read and write. They learned it themselves. The white fo'ks didn't learn it to them. All they learned them was to work hard. The owners allus took good care of us when we was sick. Master had a white doctor. Old wimmen on the place made lots of the medicine we took. There was "Bone Set", "Willow Tea", "Shuck Tea" and "Cottonseed Tea" for chills and fever, and "Jerusalem Oak" for worms. My Master left Mississippi for Texas 'bout the time the war got going, with his family and 'bout sixty slaves. We had been on the road three weeks when a gang of Yankees come on us one day at dinner. The Niggers scattered like birds. 'Bout half of them never come back. The rest of us come on and settled about seven miles southwest of Mooringsport, La. I went round with young Master Mack when they was drilling the soldiers in Mississippi 'fore we left for Louisiana. They had a big drill ground on Master's place and the whole field was full of soldiers. My young Master went on to the war after we got to this country, and stayed till they turned them loose. He come home several times while he was in the war, but they didn't talk the war 'mong the colored fo'ks. Heap of the Niggers thought the war was to free the Niggers. Two of my brothers, Richard and Robert , went to the war from Mississippi to take care of their Masters, but they made soldiers of them 'fore they got back. Nothing happened on our place the day they said we was free, 'cept some of them didn't stay ten minutes. Master called all the hands up and told them they was free and if they stayed he give them the third and fourth. The slaves warn't promised anything and didn't get anything. My mother and father stayed on with the Lampkins for most twenty years after Emancipation, working on the halves. I left my fo'ks in '73 and come to Texas. I went to work on Jimmie D. Scotts place, about eight miles east of Marshall, for $10.00 a month. That's where I met Liza Montecue , who is my wife. She was bo'n right there on the Scotts Place the same year I was bo'n. Her fo'ks come from North Carolina.

We moved to Marshall in '76, and I got a job in the Railroad Shops and worked there from '76 till the big strike in 1922. Things was pretty bad during the strike. They had rangers and soldiers to keep down the fighting and trouble. The railroad brought workers in here in box cars, and they cooked and et in the shops. I didn't belong to the strike, but the strikers wouldn't let me work. They met the colored laborers at the gate and told us we couldn't be helpers for them what took their jobs. I got $1.25 a day till the World War started, and $1.50 during the War. After the strikers run me off my job, I never could get back on, and had to make a living at anything I could find to do till my boy got in the CCC Camp. I'se been married 64 years and raised eight chil'ren. Three of them is still living, here in Marshall. They work at anything they can find to make a dollar.  I don't know 'bout the Niggers not being 'lowed to vote. I'se voted till I got tired of voting when colored people went to the polls and it didn't seem to do no good. I suppose they ain't lost nothing by not being 'lowed to vote.

Sol Walton , 88, was born in Mobile, Alabama, a slave of Sam Lempkin . Sol and his father stayed on the Lampkin Plantation, then in Mooringsport, Louisiana, until 1873, and farmed on shares. From 1876 to 1922 Sol worked in the T. & P. shops, in Marshall, Texas. Sol and his wife are supported by odd jobs Sol secures about town and they receive money from a son who is in a CCC camp. I was knockin' round, a good-sized chap, way back yonder in Buchanan's and Henry Clay's time. I was born in 1849, in Mobile, Alabama, and belonged to Sam Lampkin . My father was bought by the Lampkins and he allus kept the name of his first master Walton . My mammy was a Alabama Negro and her name was Martha , and I had four brothers and four sisters, Robert , Jim , Richard , Alex , Anna , Dora , Isabella , Bettie . My master was Sam Lampkin and his wife was Missus Mary , and their first plantation was in Alabama, but they moved to Mississippi when I was 'bout six, and we lived on Salt Water Creek. They had a big, frame house and we lived in log quarters, slept on rough rail beds and had plenty to eat, peas, pumpkins, rice and other truck we raised on the place, and plenty of fish out of the creek. The first work I done in slavery was totin' water and dinner to the field hands, in gourd buckets. We didn't have tin buckets them. The hands worked from sun to sun, end if the overseer seed 'em slackin' up he cussed 'em and sometimes whacked 'm with a bullwhip. I seed 'em whipped till their shirt stuck to their back. I seed my mammy whipped for shoutin' at white folks meetin'.

Old massa stripped her to the waist and whipped her with a bullwhip. Heaps of 'em was whipped jus' 'cause they could be whipped. Some owners half fed their hands and then whipped them for beggin' for grub. After our folks came in from the field they et supper and some went to Salt Water Creek to cotch fish and crabs. They used to spin at night, too. On Christmas Day massa allus give the slaves a little present, mostly somethin' to wear, 'cause he goin' to git that anyhow. Massa never had but one white overseer. He got kilt fightin'. The hands was burnin' logs and trash and the overseer knocked a old man down and made some of the niggers hold him while he bullwhipped him. The old man got up and knocked the overseer in the head with a big stick and then took a ax and cut off his hands and feet. Massa said he didn't ever want another white overseer and he made my cousin overlooker after that. The slaves had their own prayer meetin's and that's 'bout the biggest pleasure they had. We'd slip off sometimes to dances and parties, but the patterrollers come and run us home with hounds. The black and white children all played together and there was 'bout sixty of us. The old folks told us ghost stories but I never seed a ghost but once, after I was married. Me and some men was walkin' down the Shreveport road and saw a big house all lit up and fiddlin' and dancin' goin' on inside. But when we got close the music stops and the lights went out. When we got on past a piece it lit up and the fiddlin' starts 'gain. I wasn't scared but we didn't hang round to see what made it do that way. Some of the cullud folks on our place could read and write. They larned it theyselves. The white folks didn't larn 'em. All they larned 'em was to work hard. But they took care of us when we was sick and old women made lots of medicine. There was boneset tea and willow tea and shuck tea and cottonseed tea for chills and fever and Jerusalem Oak for worms. Master left Mississippi for Texas 'bout time the war got goin' good, with his fam'ly and sixty slaves. We'd been on the road three weeks when a gang of Yankees come on us one day at dinner. The niggers scatters like birds. 'Bout half of 'em never come back, but the rest of us come on and settled seven miles southwest of Monringaport, in Louisiana. Young master went to the war after we got there and come home sev'ral times. But they didn't talk the way 'mongst us cullud folks. Nothin' special happened the day they said we was free, 'cept some of 'em didn't stay ten minutes. Master told 'em if they'd stay he'd give them the third and fourth. The ones who left wasn't promised nothin' and didn't git nothin'. My folks stayed for 'most twenty years after 'mancipation, workin' on the halves. I left my folks in '73 and come to Jimmie D. Scott's place, in Texas, 'bout eight miles east of Marshall, and worked for $10.00 the month. That's where I met Liza Montecue , who is my wife. She was born on the Scott's place the same year I was born. We moved to Marshall in '76 and I got a job in the railroad shops and worked till the big strike in 1922. I didn't belong to the strike but the strikers wouldn't let me work. After they run me off my job, I never could get back on and had to make a livin' at anythin' I could find till my boy got in the CCC comp. I been married sixty-four years and raised eight children, and three of 'em lives here and works at anythin' they can find to make a dollar.