“I remember the King White fooled a lot of niggers and armed them and brought them up here.  The niggers and Republicans here fought them and run them back where they come from.

“I know Hot Springs when the main street was a creek.  I can’t remember when I first went there.  The government bath-house was called ’Ral Hole’, because it was mostly people with bad diseases that went there.

“After the War, my father worked for a rich man named Hunter.  He was yardman and took care of the horse.  My mother was living then.

“Scipio Jones and I were boys together.  We slept on pool tables many a time when we didn’t have no other place to sleep.  He was poor when he was a boy and glad to get hold of a dime, or a nickel.  He and I don’t speak today because he robbed me.  I had a third interest in my place.  I gave him money to buy my place in for me.  It was up for sale and I wanted to get possession.  He gave me some papers to sign and when I found out what was happening, he had all my property.  My wife kept me from killing him.”

Interviewer’s Comment

Occupation:  Grocer, bartender, porter, general work

Interviewer:  Mrs. Bernice Bowden
Person interviewed:  Sarah Anderson
                    3815 W. Second Avenue, Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Age:  78?

“I don’t know when I was born.  When the Civil War ended, I was bout four or five years old.

“I jes’ remember when the people come back—­the soldiers—­when the War ended.  We chillun run under the house.  That was the Yankees.

“I was born in Bibb County, Georgia.  That’s where I was bred and born.

“I been in Arkansas ever since I was fourteen.  That was shortly after the Civil War, I reckon.  We come here when they was emigratin’ to Arkansas.  I’m tellin’ you the truth, I been here a long time.

“I member when the soldiers went by and we chillun run under the house.  It was the Yankee cavalry, and they made so much noise.  Dat’s what the old folks told us.  I member dat we run under the house and called our self hidin’.

“My master was Madison Newsome and my missis was Sarah Newsome.  Named after her?  Must a done it.  Ma and her chillun was out wallowin’ in the dirt when the Yankees come by.  Sometimes I stayed in the house with my white folks all night.

“My mother and father say they was well treated.  That’s what they say.

“Old folks didn’t low us chillun round when they was talkin’ bout their business, no ma’am.

“We stayed with old master a good while after freedom—­till they commenced emigratin’ from Georgia to Arkansas.  Yes ma’am!

“I’m the mother of fourteen chillun—­two pairs of twins.  I married young—­bout fifteen or sixteen, I reckon.  I married a young fellow.  I say we was just chaps.  After he died, I married a old settled man and now he’s dead.