“I didn’t see the fighting because it was too far away.  It was about eighty miles from us where they got on the train to Fort Sumter.  They got on the train at Rock Hill.  Rock Hill was a city—­small city—­real close to Ebenezer.  We lived near Rock Hill.  They was adjoining towns.

Patrollers and Good Masters

“The only patrollers I knew of was some that come on the place once and got hurt.  My mother had a brother Hobb and the patroller tried to whip him.  Hobb knocked all his front teeth out with a stick.  Ches[TR:?] Wood was the name of the patroller.  It was like it is now.  There were certain white people who didn’t allow any of their niggers to be whipped.  I never seen a patroller on my place.  I have heard of them in other places, but the only one to come on our place was the one Uncle Hobb beat up.  He had to take it, because you couldn’t put anything over on Harris’ plantation.  My people was rich people.  They didn’t allow anybody to come on their places and interfere with then—­their niggers.

“I have heard my mother say that no white man ever struck her in her life.  I have had uncles that were struck.  Two of them, and both of them killed the men that struck them.  Uncle Saul killed Edmund Smith and Uncle George killed Ed McGehee.  Uncle George’s full white sister (his half-sister) sent him away and saved him.  They electrocuted Uncle Saul—­they executed him.

“White men struck them and they wouldn’t take it.  They didn’t do nothin’ at all to Hobb Baron.  He got to his boss and the white folks was ’fraid to come there after him.  All of this was in slavery.  My people ain’t never had no trouble with anybody since freedom; white people would get mad with my uncles and try to do something to them, and they wouldn’t take it.

“There were three races in the neighborhood where I was raised—­niggers, Indians, and white folks.  They never sent the Indians out until 1876 when I was a grown man.  They sent them over there to Utah when it became a state.  I had a lot of Indian friends that went along at that time.

“Bad blood was mixed up there and you couldn’t do nothing to anybody and get away with it.

First Pair of Shoes

“I can remember the first pair of shoes my uncle gave me.  They had a little brass on the top of the toes to keep you from kicking them out and skinning them up.  That was way back yonder in the fifties.

Bible and Church in Slave Time

“White people taught their niggers what Bible they wanted them to know.

“‘Who made you?’

“‘God.’

“‘Why did He make you?’

“‘For his own glory.’

“‘Why ought you to love God?’

“‘Because He made me and takes care of me.’

“That was all the Bible they wanted you to learn.  That, and just a few more things.  I could state them all.