“My old master, I can see him now—­old Joe Shird.  Just as good as they could be.

“I should say I do remember when they surrendered.  I know everybody was joyous.  But they done better fore surrender than they did afterwards—­that is them that had to go off to themselves.

“I was always so fast tryin’ to work I wasn’t studyin’ bout no books, but I went to school after surrender.  My father and mother was smart old folks and made us work.

“I just been married once.  I did pretty well.  I like to been married since he’s dead but I seen so many didn’t do so well.  I has four sons and one daughter.  My son made me quit workin’.  They gets me anything I want.  I got a religion that will do to die with.  I done give up everything.

“Younger generation?  What we goin’ do with em?  They ought to be sent off some place and put to work.  They just gone to the dogs.  The Lord have mercy.  My heart just aches and moans and groans for em.”

Circumstances of Interview
state—­Arkansas
name of worker—­Samuel S. Taylor
address—­Little Rock, Arkansas
date—­December, 1938
subject—­Ex-slave
[TR:  Repetitive information deleted from subsequent pages.]

1.  Name and address of informant—­Mary Watson, 1500 Cross Street, Little Rock.

2.  Date and time of interview—­

3.  Place of interview—­1500 Cross Street, Little Rock.

4.  Name and address of person, if any, who put you in touch with informant—­

5.  Name and address of person, if any, accompanying you—­

6.  Description of room, house, surroundings, etc.—­

Personal History of Informant

1.  Ancestry—­father, Abram McCoy; mother, Louise McCoy.

2.  Place and date of birth—­Mississippi.  No date.

3.  Family—­

4.  Places lived in, with dates—­Lived in Mississippi until 1891 then moved to Arkansas.

5.  Education, with dates—­

6.  Occupations and accomplishments, with dates—­

7.  Special skills and interests—­

8.  Community and religious activities—­

9.  Description of informant—­

10.  Other points gained in interview—­This person tells very little of life, but tells of her parents.

Text of Interview (Unedited)

“My mother and father were McCoys.  His name was Abram and her name was Louise.  My mother died right here when Brewer was Pastor of Wesley.  You ought to remember her.  My mother died in 1928.  My father died in 1897 when Joe Sherrill was pastor.  Joe Sherrill went to Africa, you know.  He was a missionary.