I was fifteen years ole de September after de nineteenth of June, 'Mancipation day. My mother was bohn in Louisville, Kentucky and my father was bohn in Maryland. De two of dem was slaves to Marse Russel in Rutersville. I was bohn in de log cabin dat was in de back yard of my Marster's house. So was my brudders and sisters but all of dem is dead now 'ceptin' two brudders. De Marster's house is big; it's a big box house, 'bout nine rooms. Dey don't 'low me to go much to my mother's house in de yard and dey never 'lows me to go to de log cabins whar de slaves lives. Dey's floors in my mother's house. She got a wooden bed to sleep in wid boards across to hold de mattress on. I sleep on quilts on de floor of de big box house. Marse Russel has 'bout 24 slaves on de place. Dey wuks de fields and de gahden and dey takes care of de stock and de slaves ain't 'lowed nothin' on'y what de Marster gives 'em. De slaves don't complain 'cause Marster give 'em plenty to eat. Dere was big gahdens of beans and vegetables and cohn and wheat and bahley. Dere was plenty game. Wile duck, possum, rabbit and turkey. De white folks never eats de wile game, and o Lawd, lots of coons too.

I was de house gal and my mother was general cook. I'se 'lowed to eat at de same table whar de white folks eats and I eat de same food after dey stops eatin'. Marse Russel was good to de slaves. Dey has heaps to eat but dey ain't got no money. De Marster never 'lows any of us to read a book. De ole women slaves weaves de cloth and knits de socks and de stockins. In de winter dey puts de wool from de sheep 'tween de cotton cloth and makes us coats and jackets for de cold weather. Dey's a man offen de plantation dat makes de shoes. No suh, he doan jus' hang de hides on de bahn door. He takes bark and tans de hide. Den he takes de hair off, and oh Lawdy, dat was hard leather. Dey calls dem shoes 'brogans. 'Dey hurts so I can't wear 'em on'y in cole weather. What's dat? Does I go in my stockin' feet. Lawdy, Lawdy, I runs in my bare feet. Sometimes de Marster let de slaves go to church. De church ain't on de plantation. Iffen one nigger likes t'other and dey wants to get married, Marse Russel reads somethin' from a piece of paper and den he say-'Now dat's your wife and dat's your husband.' De overseer whops de slaves like dey was hosses when de slaves don't mind or de overseer gets mad. Marster Russel he don't sell no slaves but over at Lagrange dey got auction blocks. And my mammy ain't afraid to go 'cause Marse Russel don't sell no slaves. And she say ole man Faxon dat's a slave on de next plantation is standin' by de auction block wid a baby on each arm. And de man what sell de slaves take de two babies offen old man Faxon and sell de two babies. And one time when I'se little de trader drives a parcel of slaves across Marse Russel's plantation and one woman got a baby at her bosom. And de baby cries 'cause it's so hot and de overseer gits tired of hearin' de baby cry. So he say, Gal, you lay dat baby long side of de road!' And a little piece further de mother tell a colored woman to pick up her baby and give it de name of Susan . And dat's de on'y name we ever hear for dat baby when she grow up. Marse Russel let us stay on de plantation six months after 'Mancipation. Den we goes to John Holman's place across de Colorado River, and 'clare to de Lawd dat's de first time I ever see a river. We wuks for Mr. Holman on shares, half to de Marster and half to us but we pays all de bills. Iffen de cotton pickin' got to be hired, it come out of our half. Sometimes our half ain't nothin' but de Marster git his half clear. I's married on Mr. Holman's place and me and my husband goes to Eagle Lake to live. Now I lives here in de winter wid my daughter and de summertime I lives wid my son in Eagle Lake.