“On Saturday each slave was given 10 pounds corn meal, a quart of black strap, 6 pounds of fat back, 3 pounds of flour and vegetables, all of which were raised on the farm.  All of the slaves hunted or those who wanted, hunted rabbits, opossums or fished.  These were our choice food as we did not get anything special from the overseer.

“Our food was cooked by our mothers or sisters and for those who were not married by the old women and men assigned for that work.

“Each family was given 3 acres to raise their chickens or vegetables and if a man raised his own food he was given $10.00 at Christmas time extra, besides his presents.

“In the summer or when warm weather came each slave was given something, the women, linsey goods or gingham clothes, the men overalls, muslin shirts, top and underclothes, two pair of shoes, and a straw hat to work in.  In the cold weather, we wore woolen clothes, all made at the sewing cabin.

“My master was named Tom Ashbie, a meaner man was never born in Virginia—­brutal, wicked and hard.  He always carried a cowhide with him.  If he saw anyone doing something that did not suit his taste, he would have the slave tied to a tree, man or woman, and then would cowhide the victim until he got tired, or sometimes, the slave would faint.

“The Ashbie’s home was a large stone mansion, with a porch on three sides.  Wide halls in the center up and down stairs, numerous rooms and a stone kitchen built on the back connected with dining room.

“Mrs. Ashbie was kind and lovely to her slaves when Mr. Ashbie was out.  The Ashbies did not have any children of their own, but they had boys and girls of his own sister and they were much like him, they had maids or private waiter for the young men if they wanted them.

“I have heard it said by people in authority, Tom Ashbie owned 9000 acres of farm land besides of wood land.  He was a large slave owner having more than 100 slaves on his farm.  They were awakened by blowing of the horn before sunrise by the overseer, started work at sunrise and worked all day to sundown, with not time to go to the cabin for dinner, you carried your dinner with you.  The slaves were driven at top speed and whipped at the snap of the finger, by the overseers, we had four overseers on the farm all hired white men.

“I have seen men beaten until they dropped in their tracks or knocked over by clubs, women stripped down to their waist and cowhided.

“I have heard it said that Tom Ashbie’s father went to one of the cabins late at night, the slaves were having a secret prayer meeting.  He heard one slave ask God to change the heart of his master and deliver him from slavery so that he may enjoy freedom.  Before the next day the man disappeared, no one ever seeing him again; but after that down in the swamp at certain times of the moon, you could hear the man who prayed in the cabin praying.  When old man Ashbie died, just before he died he told the white Baptist minister, that he had killed Zeek for praying and that he was going to hell.