“But I was livin’ in Abraham Lincoln’s time.  Chillun them days didn’t know nothin’.  Why, woman, I was twelve years old ’fore I knowed babies didn’t come out a holler log.  I used to go ‘round lookin’ in logs for a baby.

“I had seven sisters and three brothers and they all dead but me.  Had three younger than me.  They was what they called freeborn chillun.

“After freedom my parents worked for Major Ross.  I know when mama fixed us up to go to Sunday-school we’d go by Major Ross for him to see us.  I know we’d go so early, sometimes he’d still be in his drawers.

“I know one thing—­when I was about sixteen years old things was good here.  Ever’body had a good living.”

Interviewer:  Miss Irene Robertson
Person interviewed:  Malindy Maxwell, Madison, Arkansas
Age:  Up in 80’s

“I was born close to Como and Sardis, Mississippi.  My master and mistress was Sam Shans and Miss Cornelia Shans.  I was born a slave.  They owned mama and Master Rube Sanders owned pa.  Neither owner wouldn’t sell but they agreed to let ma and pa marry.  They had a white preacher and they married out in the yard and had a big table full of weddin’ supper, and the white folks et in the house.  They had a big supper too.  Ma said they had a big crowd.  The preacher read the ceremony.  Miss Cornelia give her a white dress and white shoes and Miss Cloe Wilburn give her a veil.  Miss Cloe was some connection of Rube Sanders.

“They had seven children.  I’m the oldest—­three of us living.

“After ’mancipation pa went to see about marrying ma over agen and they told him that marriage would stand long as ever he lived.

“Mama was sold at twelve years old in Atlanta, Georgia.  Ma and pa was always field hands.  Grandma got to be one of John Sanders’ leading hands to work mong the women folks.  They said John Sanders was meanest man ever lived or died.  According to pa’s saying, Mars Ruben was a good sorter man.  Pa said John Sanders was too mean a man to have a wife.  He was mean to Miss Sarah.  They said he beat her, his wife, like he beat a nigger woman.

“Miss Sarah say, ’Come get your rations early Saturday morning, clean up your house, wash and iron, and we’ll go to preaching tomorrow—­Sunday.  I want you to all come out clean Monday morning.’  They go ask Mars John Sanders if they could go to preaching.  I recken from what they said they walked.  Mars John, when they git their best clothes on, make them turn round and go to the field and work all day long.  He was just that mean.  Work all day long Sunday.

“Miss Sarah was a Primitive Baptist and that is what I am till this day.  Some folks call us Hardshell Baptist.  The colored folks set in the back of the church.  The women all set on one side and the men on the other.  If they had a middle row, there was a railing dividing mens’ seats from the womens’ seats on the very same benches.