“I have been married right around thirty-nine years.

“I was born in Chicot County, Arkansas.[TR:  sentence lined out.] My father was born in Georgia and brought here by his master.  He come here in a old covered ox wagon.  I don’t know how they happened to decide to come here.  My mother was born in South Carolina.  She met my father here in Arkansas.  They sold her husband and she was brought here.  After peace was declared she met my daddy.  Her first husband was sold in South Carolina and she never did know that became of him.  They put him up on the block and sold him and she never did know which way he went.  He left her with two boys right then.  She had a sister that stayed in South Carolina.  Somebody bought her there and kept her and somebody bought my mother and brought her here.  My father’s master was named McDermott.  My mother’s last master was named Belcher or something like that.

“I don’t belong to any church.  I have always lived decent and kept out of trouble.”

Interviewer’s Comment

When Morgan said “there is my record”, he showed me a pass for the year 1938-39 for himself and his wife between all stations on the Missouri Pacific lines signed by L.W.  Baldwin, Chief Executive Officer.

He is a good man even if he is not a Christian as to church membership.

Interviewer:  Miss Irene Robertson
Person Interviewed:  Olivia Morgan
                    Hazen, Ark. 
Age:  62

“I am 62 years old.  I was born in Lafayette County close to New Lewisville.  I heard mama say many a time she was named after her state—­North Carolina.  Her name was Carolina Alexandria.  They brought her a slave girl to this new country.  She and papa must of met up toreckly after freedom.  She had some children and I’m one of my papa’s oldest children.

“Papa come here long fore the war started.  The old master in Atlanta, Georgia—­Abe Smith—­give his son three boys and one girl.  He emigrated to Arkansas.

“Mama said her first husband and the young master went off and he never come back as she knowed of.  Young master played with mama’s second girl a whole heap.  One day they was playing hiding round.  Just as she come running to the base from round the house, young master hit her on the forehead with a rock.  It killed her.  Old master tried to school him but he worried so they sent him off—­thought it would do his health good to travel.  I don’t think they ever come back.

“After freedom mama married and went over to papa’s master’s.  Papa stayed round there a long time.  They got news some way they was to get forty acres land and a mule to start out with but they said they never got nothing.