and young when de war was over, but I heared de old folks do lots of talkin’ ‘bout dem times whilst I was a-growin’ up, and den too, I stayed right dar on dat same place ’til I was ’bout grown.  It was Marse Henry Jones’ plantation ’way off down in Taliaferro County, nigh Crawfordville, Georgy.  Mammy b’longed to Marse Henry.  She was Harriet Jones.  Daddy was Simon Battle and his owner was Marse Billie Battle.  De Battle’s plantation was off down dar nigh de Jones’ place.  When my Mammy and Daddy got married Marse Henry wouldn’t sell Mammy, and Marse Billie wouldn’t sell Daddy, so dey didn’t git to see one another but twice a week—­dat was on Wednesday and Sadday nights—­’til atter de war was done over.  I kin still ‘member Daddy comin’ over to Marse Henry’s plantation to see us.

“Marse Henry kept a lot of slaves to wuk his big old plantation whar he growed jus’ evvything us needed to eat and wear ’cept sugar and coffee and de brass toes for our home-made, brogan shoes.  Dere allus was a-plenty t’eat and wear on dat place.

“Slave quarters was log cabins built in long rows.  Some had chimblies in de middle, twixt two rooms, but de most of ’em was jus’ one-room cabins wid a stick and mud chimbly at de end.  Dem chimblies was awful bad ’bout ketchin’ on fire.  Didn’t nobody have no glass windows.  Dey jus’ had plain plank shutters for blinds and de doors was made de same way, out of rough planks.  All de beds was home-made and de best of ’em was corded.  Dey made holes in de sides and foots and haidpieces, and run heavy home-made cords in dem holes.  Dey wove ’em crossways in and out of dem holes from one side to another ’til dey had ’em ready to lay de mattress mat on.  I’se helped to pull dem cords tight many a time.  Our mattress ticks was made of homespun cloth and was stuffed wid wheat straw.  ’Fore de mattress tick was put on de bed a stiff mat wove out of white oak splits was laid on top of de cords to pertect de mattress and make it lay smooth.  Us was ’lowed to pick up all de old dirty cotton ’round de place to make our pillows out of.

“Jus’ a few of de slave famblies was ‘lowed to do deir own cookin’ ‘cause Marster kept cooks up at de big house what never had nothin’ else to do but cook for de white folks and slaves.  De big old fireplace in dat kitchen at de big house was more dan eight feet wide and you could pile whole sticks of cord-wood on it.  It had racks acrost to hang de pots on and big ovens and little ovens and big, thick, iron fryin’ pans wid long handles and hefty iron lids.  Dey could cook for a hunderd people at one time in dat big old kitchen easy.  At one time dere was tables acrost one end of de kitchen for de slaves t’eat at, and de slave chillun et dar too.