I was born on the Jess Witt place, right here in Harrison County, on the tenth day of August, in 1850, and allus lived in and round Marshall. My father and mother, Daniel and Jane , was bred and born in Texas, and belonged to the Witts . I had five brothers, named Charlie and Joe and George and Bill and Jim , and six sisters, named Mary and Susan and Betsy and Anna and Effie and Lucinda . They all lived to be growed but I'm the onliest chile still livin'. Master Witt had a big place, I don't recall how many acres. He didn't have so many slaves. Slavery was a tight fight. We lived in li'l cabins and slept on rough plank beds and et bacon and peas and pa'ched corn. We didn't hardly know what flour brand was. Master give us one outfit of clothes to a time and sometimes shoes. We worked all day in the fields, come in and fed the stock and did the chores and et what li'l grub it took to do us and went to bed. You'd better not go nowheres without a pass, 'cause them patterrollers was rolling round every bush. My missus was named Kate and had two chillen. The Witts had a good set of niggers and didn't have to whip much. Sometimes he give us a light brushin' for piddlin' round at work. I seed plenty niggers whipped on ole man Ruff Perry and Pratt Hughes places, though. They was death on 'em. Lawyer Marshall used to whip his niggers goin' and comin' every day that come round.  I 'members white folks sayin' war was startin' 'bout keepin' slaves and then I seed 'em mendin' the harness and wagons to go and fight. I was the houseboy for the Witts durin' the war and 'bout time it was over I enlisted at Alexandria as a soldier and they sent me to Mansfield. The Yanks had done won the victory when our reg'ment got there. They turned us loose to git home the best we could. I come back to the Witts and master calls up all the slaves and says we was free, but if we stayed and worked for him we'd have plenty to eat and wear, and if we left, it'd be root, hawg or die. Most of 'em left but I stayed a year. You'd ought to seed 'em pullin' off them croaker-sack clothes when master says we's free.

I come to Marshall with my mother and the whole state was under United States law. The 8th regiment of Illinois was at Marshall for two years after the war, and no man, black, white or red or what is you, darsn't git cotched after dark without a pass. When they'd stop you, if you couldn't give the U.S. sign, 'Grant's Friend,' they'd shoot the devil out of you. You didn't pass 'less you knowed the sign. The Confederates had a big gun powder mill on Mill's Creek, two and a half miles north of Marshall and it stayed operatin' two or three years. But Gen. Atichon and Capt. Bishop and Lt. Rives and a bunch of Yanks tried to capture it and the Confederates blowed it up. When I was 'bout sixteen my mother hires me out to a Mr. Acorns , who was refugeed from Georgina to Marshall. Ole man Acorns was a mile of hell anywhere you met him and he nearly beat me to death and I run away. His son and him and 'nother man starts after me and I has to light a shuck. We sho' had some race down that hill over where the new water tower is in Sunny South, but they didn't cotch me. The white folks round here didn't 'lieve us niggers was free then. Then I goes to work for Mr. Edmond Key Sr ., and stays with him till I'm growed. I used to help chase rabbits where the court house is now. I recalls the Buzzard Roost Hotel and some stores was on that square then. I cooks for the old Capitol Hotel eighteen years, then I quit and tries railroadin', but it didn't take long to decide to go back to the cook apron. I allus made a livin' from cookin' and preachin', and I've preached forty-five years. The only times I voted was for high sheriff once and for President Garfield and President Grant . I marries in 1915 and my wife is still with me. I'm too stove up with rhumatis' now to work and her and me gits $15.00 a month from the government.

Rube Witt , an aged Negro preacher of Marshall was born August 10, 1850, as a slave of Jess Witt of Harrison County. Rube worked as a houseboy for the Witts during the war, and was enlisted as a Confederate soldier at Alexandria, La. and sent to Mansfield, La., but his regiment arrived after the victory was won by the North. Returning to the Witts , he worked for them until one year after the war. Moving to Marshall in 1866, he worked for Edmund Key Sr ., pioneer banker and civic leader, until he was grown. Rube served 18 years as cook at the old Capitol Hotel of Marshall, having always earned a livlihood from cooking and preaching. He and his wife now reside at 707 E. Crockett Street, Marshall, and receive a $15.00 per month pension from the Government.

I was bo'n on the Jess Witt place, here in Harrison County, on August 10, 1850, and allus lived in and 'round Marshall. My father and mother, Daniel and Jane Witt , was bred and born in Texas and belonged to the Witts . I had five brothers; Charlie , Joe , George , Bill and Jim , and six sisters: Mary , Susan , Betsy , Anna , Effie , and Luncinda . They all lived to be grown, but I'se the onliest chile still living.

Master Witt had a big place, I don't recall how many acres, but he didn't have so many slaves. Slavery was a "tight-fight". We lived in small cabins, slep' on rough plank beds, and et bacon, peas, and parched co'n. We didn't hardly know what flour bread was. Master giv' us one outfit of clothes at a time, and sometimes we wore shoes. We wo'ked all day in the fiel', come in feed the stock and chores 'round the house, get what little grub (food) it took to do us and go to bed. You'd better not go anywhere with- out a pass 'cause the "Pattyrollers" was rolling 'round every bush. My Mistress was name Kate , and had two chil'ren, Edward and Lucy . The Witts had a good set of Niggers. Sometime he giv' us a light brushing for piddling 'round at work. I's seed plenty of Niggers whipped on ole man Ruff Perry and Pratt Hughes places. They was death on them. Lawyer Marshall used to whip his Niggers goin' and comin' every day that come round.I 'members the white fo'ks say the War started concerning keeping the slaves. Then I seed them mending harness and fixing wagons to go fight. I was a house-boy for the Witts during the war. 'Bout the time it was over I was enlisted at Alexandria, La. as a soldier and sent to Mansfield. The Yankees had done won the victory when our reg'ment got there. They turned us loose to get home the best way we could. I come back to the Witts and stayed 'bout a year after the war. Master calls all the slaves up and say we was free. He promised we would have plenty to eat and wear if we stayed on and worked for him, and if we left it was "root hog or die". Most of them left. You ought to seed them pulling off them "croaker-sack" (home-spun) clothes when Master say we was free.I came to Marshall with my mother. The whole State was underUnited States Law. The 8th Regiment of Illinois was located at Marshall 'bout two years after the war.

No man, black, white, red or what is you ... darsn't be caught after dark without a pass. When they stop you, if you couldn't giv' the U. S. Sign, "Grant's Friend", they'd shoot the devil out of you. You didn't pass less you knowed the sign.The Confederate had a big gun powder mill on Mill's Creek, two and a half miles north of Marshall. It stayed in operation two or three years. When Gen. Atichon , Captain Bishop , and Lt. Rives and a bunch of Yankees tried to capture it, the Confederates blowed it up.When I was 'bout sixteen or seventeen, mother hired me out to a Mr. Acorns , who was refugeed from Georgia to Marshall. Ole man Acorns was "a mile of hell" anywhere you met him. He nearly beat me to death and I run away. His son, himself and another man started after me and I had to "light a shuck". We sho' had some race down that hill over where the new water tower is in Sunny South, but they didn't catch me. The white fo'ks 'round here didn't believe the Niggers was free at that time. Then I went to work for Mr. Edmond Key Sr . and stayed with him till I was grown. I 'member when they has a plank log cou't house in Marshall. I used to help Ed Key chase rabbits where the cou't house is now. I recalls when "The Buzzard Roost Hotel", Mosley's Saloon and a few stores and cou'thouse was all there was on the square. I cooked for the old Capitol Hotel for eighteen years. I quit and tried railroading, but it didn't take me long to decide to go back to the cook apron. I allus made my living from cooking and from preachin', 'cept the time I railroaded. I'se been preaching forty-five years. I don't 'member much 'bout the Ku Klux, 'cept they done a lot of prohibiting and caused lots of devilment. I'se voted three times in my life, once for Captain Singleton to be high sheriff, once for President Garfield and the other time for President Grant . The last time the Negroes voted in Harrison County was when they put whiskey out. I was baptised in 1868 by a colored preacher, in a creek. I don't believe in these pools like they have in churches now. Religion ain't what it was when I was a boy ... there's too much style now. I 'members when we had preaching and baptizing down by the side of the creek. My favorite song went like this: (Rube and his wife and Deacon Philips all sing) When I can read my title clear To mansions in the sky I'll bid farewell to every fear And wipe my weeping eye. Should earth against my soul engage, And fiery darts be hurled; Then I can smile at Satan's rage, And face a frowning world. So if I but safely reach my home.. My heaven, my God, My all, Not a wave of trouble shall roll Over my peaceful soul.

After the preacher brought his sermon, everyone would "semble" (assemble) along the bank of the creek, representing the River Jordon. All the can'dates then jined hands with the preacher, and he let them out into the creek, while everyone sang: Let's go down to Jordon, Let's go down to Jordon, Repent, believe, and be baptized, "Let's go down to Jordon, Let's go down to Jordon, This baptizing shall go on, Let's go down to Jordon, Let's go down to Jordon. Religion is so sweet, Let's go down to Jordon, Let's go down to Jordon.

I married in 1915, and my wife is still living. We don't have no Chil'ren. I allus made a fair living cooking and preaching till I got to old and stove up with "rumatiz" (rheumatism) to work. We gets $15.00 month pension from the Government. I guess that us not bein' 'lowed to vote is alright. I believe in harmony, peace and love. We would have it if the young Niggers would do what's right and stay in their place. It's the young generation that gives all the trouble. Without a change, I think they are in a pretty bad shape. They are getting farther away from the way we was raised all the time.