“The Yankees burned the big house.  It was a fine house.  Old mistress moved in the overseer’s house.  He was a white man.  He moved somewhere else.  The Yankees made raids and took 15 or 20 calves from her at one time.  They set the tater house afire.  They took the corn.  Old mistress cried more on one time.  The Yankees starved out more black faces than white at their stealing.  After that war it was hard for the slaves to have a shelter and enough eatin’ that winter.  They died in piles bout after that August I tole you bout.  Joe Innes was our overseer when the house burned.

“The Ku Klux come to my house twice.  They couldn’t get filled up wid water.  They scared us to death.  I heard a lot of things they done.

“I don’t vote.  I voted once in all my life fo some county officers.

“I been in Arkansas since February 5, 1880.  I come to Little Cypress.  I worked for Mr. Clark by the month, J.W.  Crocton’s place, Mr. Kitchen’s place.  I was brakeman on freight train awhile.  I worked on the section.  I farmed and worked in the timber.  I don’t have no children; I never been married.  I wanted to work by the month all my life.  I sells mats (shuck mats) $1.00 and I bottom chairs 50c.  The Social Welfare gives me $10.00.  That is 10c a meal.  That woman next door boards me—­table board—­for 50c a day.  I make all I can outer fust one thing and another.” (He is blind—­cataracts.)

Interviewer:  Miss Irene Robertson
Person interviewed:  Emma Barr, Madison, Arkansas
Age:  65

“My parents belong to two people.  Mama was born in Mississippi I think and papa come from North Carolina.  Papa’s master was Lark Hickerson.  Mama was sold from Dr. Ware to Dr. Pope.  She was grown when she was sold.  She was the mother of twenty-seven children.  She had twins three times.

“During the Civil War she was run from the Yankees and had twins on the road.  They died or was born dead and she nearly died.  They was buried between twin trees close to Hernando, Mississippi.  Her last owner was Dr. Pope, ten miles south of Augusta, Arkansas.  I was born there and raised up three miles south of Augusta, Arkansas.

“When mama was sold she left her people in Mississippi but after freedom her sisters, Aunt Mariah and Aunt Mary, come here to mama.  Aunt Mariah had no children.  Aunt Mary had four boys, two girls.  She brought her children.  Mama said her husband when Dr. Ware owned her was Maxwell but she married my papa after Dr. Pope bought her.

“Dr. Ware had a fine man he bred his colored house women to.  They didn’t plough and do heavy work.  He was hostler, looked after the stock and got in wood.  The women hated him, and the men on the place done as well.  They hated him too.  My papa was a Hickerson.  He was a shoemaker and waited on Dr. Pope.  Dr. Pope and Miss Marie was good to my parents and to my auntees when they come out here.

“I am the onliest one of mama’s children living.  Mama was sold on the block and cried off I heard them say when they lived at Wares in Mississippi.  Mama was a house girl, Aunt Mary cooked and my oldest sister put fire on the skillet and oven lids.  That was her job.