Kemper.  I heard him preach at the old church where my Mistus and Master took me every Sunday.  The first Baptizin’ that I remember was on Dix Fiver near Floyd’s Mill.  Preacher Kemper did the Baptizin’ and Ellen Stone, one of our slaves was Baptized there with a number of others—­whites and blacks too.  When Ellen came up out of the water she was clapping her hands and shouting.  One of the songs I remember at this Baptizing was: 

  “Come sinners and Saints and hear me tell
    The wonders of E-Man-u-el,
  Who brought my soul with him to dwell
    And give me heavenly union.”

“The first funeral sermon I remember was preached by John Moran, negro at the first Baptist here in Lancaster.

“The negroes would talk among themselves, but never carried tales to the white folks.  I never heard of any trouble between blacks and whites.  On Sunday’s we would hold prayer meetings among ourselves.  The neighbors would come when slaves were sick.  Old Mistus looked after us, giving us teas made of catnip and vermifuge.  Poultices of dock leaves and slippery elm were also used when were sick.  Some of the slaves wore rabbit feet for charms and skins of snakes for a belt as a charm.

“My first wedding was 53 years ago.  The woman was named Emma Barren, raised by Dr. Pettus.  I had no children.  We went to Mr. Spencer Hubble to live, in Lincoln County.  We had no chil [TR:  This sentence appears to have been unfinished or erased.]

I received the first news of freedom joyfully.  I went to old man Onstott’s to live.  I lived there two or three years.  I think Abe Lincoln a great man.  He did not believe in slavery and would have paid the southern people for their slaves if he had lived.  All the slaves on Morse Stone’s place were treated well.

Bibliography: 
Interview with Bert Mayfield.

Mercer County.  Ex-Slave Stories.  (Hazel Cinnamon)

Interview with Will Oats—­Ex-Slave: 

Will Oats, 84 years of age, was born in Wayne County, up Spring Valley in 1854.  He was the son of Betty Oats and Will Garddard of North Carolina.  He has three sisters:  Lucy Wilson, Frances Phillips that live in Ohio, and Alice Branton of Mercer County, Kentucky.  He has two brothers; Jim Coffey and Lige Coffey of Harrodsburg.

As a child he lived with his mother, brothers, sisters, and grandmother.  Their quarters were in the yard of their master; and they were as comfortable as any slaves—­with plenty to eat and clothes to keep them warm.

Will was just a boy at that time, and he cut wood and carried it in; and did other chores around the house such as help to milk and feed the stock.  Their food was plentiful and they ate all kinds of vegetables, and had plenty of milk and butter, fat meat, and bread.

The family all wore home made clothing, cotton shirts, heavy shoes, very heavy underwear; and if they wore out their winter shoes before the spring weather they had to do without until the fall.