“Old mistress say she first married Mr. Abraham Chenol.  Then she married Mr. Joel Sutton and they both died.  She had two sons.  She had a nephew what come there from way off.  She said he was her sister’s boy.  Couse they had doctors and good ones.  Iffen a doctor come say one thing the matter he better stick to it and cure one he come thar to see.  Old mistress had three boys till one died.  I was brushin’ flies offen him.  She come and cry and go way cryin’.  He callin’ her all time.  He quit callin’ her then he was dead.  Made a sorter gurglin’ sound.  That the first person I seed die.  When they say he dead I got out and off I was gone.  I was usin’ a turkey wing to brush flies offen him.  I don’t know what was the matter wid em.  They buried him on her place whah the grave yard was made.  Both her husbands buried down there.  She had a fine marble put over his grave.  It had things wrote on it.  She sent way off an’ got it.  They hauled it to here in a wagon.  The Masons burled him.  It was the prettiest sight I ever seed.

“Her son John had some peafowls.  She had geese—­a big drove—­turkeys, guineas, ducks, and geese.

“She had feather beds and wheat straw mattresses, clean whoopee!  They used cotton baggin’ and straw and some of the servants had a feather bed.  Old mistress get up an’ go in set till they call her to breakfast.  They had a marble top table and a big square piano.  That was the parlor furniture.  They made rugs outen sheep an’ goat skins.

“When she want the cook go wid her she dress her up in some her fine dresses—­big white cap like missus slep in an’ a white apron tied round her waist.  We wore 5¢ calico and gingham dresses for best.  She’d buy three and four bolts at Augusta [Georgia] and have it made up to work in.  We didn’t spin and weave till the war come on.  Some old men come round making spinnin’ wheels.  They was very plain too nearly bout rough.  Rich folks had fine silk dresses—­jes’ rattle when they walked—­to wear to preachin’.  They sho did have preachin’ an’ fastin’ too durin’ the war but folks didn’t have fine clothes when it ended like when the war started.

Ku Klux Klan

“It started outener the bushwhackers.  Some say they didn’t get what was promised em at Shiloh Battle.  They didn’t get their rights.  I don’t know what they meant by it.  The bushwhackers ketch the men in day goiner work—­ketch em this way [by the shoulders or collar].  Such hollerin’ and scramblin’ then you never heard.  They hide behind big pine trees till he come up then step out behind and grab him.  They first come an’ call fer water.  Plenty water in the well or down at the spring.  They knowed it too.  Then they waste all you had brought up and say—­’Ah!  First drink I had since I come from hell.’  They all knowed ain’t nobody come from hell.  They had hatchets an’ they burst in your house.  Jes’ to scare you.  They shoot under your house.