“Marse Murry died an’ Old Missus run de place.  She was good an’ kind to us all an’ den she mar’ied afte’ while to Mr. Gatlin.  Dat was afte’ de war was over.

“Whil’st I was in de war I seed Mr. Jeff Davis.  He was ridin’ a big hoss an’ he looked mighty fine.  I niver seed him ’ceptin he was on de hoss.

“Dey said old man Abe Lincoln was de nigger’s friend, but frum de way old Marse an’ de sojers talk ’bout him I thought he was a mighty mean man.

“I doan recollec’ when dey tol’ us we was freed but I do know Mr. Gatlin would promise to pay us fer our work an’ when de time would come fer to pay he said he didn’ have it an’ kep’ puttin us off, an’ we would work some more an’ git nothin’ fer it.  Old Missus would cry an’ she was good to us but dey had no money.

“‘Fo de war Marse Murry would wake all de niggers by blowin’ a big ‘konk’ an’ den when dinner time would come Old Missus would blow de ‘konk’ an’ call dem to dinner.  I got so I could blow dat ‘konk’ fer Old Missus but oh! it tuk my wind.

“Marse Murry would ’low me to drive his team when he would go to market.  I could haul de cotton to Covin’ton an’ bring back whut was to eat, an’ all de oxen could pull was put on dat wagon.  We allus had good eatin afte’ we had been to market.

“Every Chris’mus would come I got a apple an’ some candy an’ mammy would cook cake an’ pies fer Old Missus an’ stack dem on de shelf in de big kitchen an’ we had every thing good to eat.  Dem people sho’ was good an’ kind to all niggers.

“Afte de war de times was hard an’ de white an’ black people was fightin’ over who was to git de big office, an’ den dere was mighty leetle to eat.  Dar was plen’y whiskey, but I’se kep’ ’way frum all dat.  I was raised right.  Old Missus taught me ter ‘spect white folks an’ some of dem promised me land but I niver got it.  All de land I’se ever got I work mighty hard fer it an’ I’se got it yit.

“One day afte’ Mr. Gatlin said he couldn’ pay me I run ‘way an’ went to New Orleans an’ got a job haulin’ cotton, an’ made my 50 cents an’ dinner every day.  I sho’ had me plen’y money den.  I stayed dere mighty close on to fo’ years an’ den I went to Tylertown an’ hauled cotton to de railroad fer Mr. Ben Lampton.  Mr. Lampton said I was de bes’ driver of his team he ever had caze I kep’ his team fat.

“Afte I come back to Miss’ssippi I mar’ied a woman named Maggie Ransom.  We stayed together 51 years.  I niver hit her but one time.  When we was gittin’ mar’ied I stopped de preacher right in de ceremony an’ said to her, ‘Maggie, iffen you niver call me a liar I will niver call you one’ an’ she said, ‘Jim, I won’t call you a liar.’  I said, ‘That’s a bargain’ an’ den de preacher went on wid de weddin’.  Well, one day afte’ we had been mar’ied’ bout fo’ years, she ast[FN:  asked] me how come I was so late comin’ to supper, an’ I said I found some work to do fer a white lady, an’ she said, that’s a lie,’ an’ right den I raised my han’ an’ let her have it right by de side of de head, an’ she niver called me a liar ag’in.  No ma’m, dat is somethin’ I won’t stand fer.