19.  Now that slavery is ended what do you think of it?  Tell why you joined a church and why you think all people should be religious.

20.  Was the overseer “poor white trash”?  What were some of his rules?

The details of the interview should be reported as accurately as possible in the language of the original statements.  An example of material collected through one of the interviews with ex-slaves is attached herewith.  Although this material was collected before the standard questionnaire had been prepared, it represents an excellent method of reporting an interview.  More information might have been obtained however, if a comprehensive questionnaire had been used.

Sample Interview From Georgia

LULA FLANNIGAN
Ex-slave, 78 years.

“Dey says I wuz jes fo’ years ole when de war wuz over, but I sho’ does member dat day dem Yankee sojers come down de road.  Mary and Willie Durham wuz my mammy and pappy, en dey belong ter Marse Spence Durham at Watkinsville in slav’ry times.”

“When word cum dat de Yankee sojers wuz on de way, Marse Spence en his sons wuz ’way at de war.  Miss Betsey tole my pappy ter take en hide de hosses down in de swamp.  My mammy help Miss Betsey sew up de silver in de cotton bed ticks.  Dem Yankee sojers nebber did find our whitefolks’ hosses and deir silver.”

“Miss Marzee, she wuz Marse Spence en Miss Betsey’s daughter.  She wuz playin’ on de pianny when de Yankee sojers come down de road.  Two sojers cum in de house en ax her fer ter play er tune dat dey liked.  I fergits de name er dey tune.  Miss Marzee gits up fum de pianny en she low dat she ain’ gwine play no tune for’ no Yankee mens.  Den de sojers takes her out en set her up on top er de high gate post in front er de big house, en mek her set dar twel de whole regiment pass by.  She set dar en cry, but she sho’ ain’ nebber played no tune for dem Yankee mens!”

“De Yankee sojers tuk all de blankets offen de beds.  Dey stole all de meat dey want fum de smokehouse.  Dey bash in de top er de syrup barrels en den turn de barrels upside down.”

“Marse Spence gave me ter Miss Marzee fer ter be her own maid, but slav’ry time ended fo’ I wuz big ’nough ter be much good ter ’er.”

“Us had lots better times dem days dan now.  Whatter dese niggers know ’bout corn shuckin’s, en log rollin’s, en house raisin’s?  Marse Spence used ter let his niggers have candy pullin’s in syrup mekkin’ time, en de way us wud dance in de moonlight wuz sompin’ dese niggers nowadays doan know nuffin’ ’bout.”

“All de white folks love ter see plenty er healthy, strong black chillun comin’ long, en dey wuz watchful ter see dat ’omans had good keer when dey chilluns vuz bawned.  Dey let dese ’omans do easy, light wuk towards de last ‘fo’ de chilluns is bawned, en den atterwuds dey doan do nuffin much twel dey is well en strong ergin.  Folks tell ’bout some plantations whar de ‘omans ud run back home fum de fiel’ en hev day baby, en den be back in do fiel’ swingin’ er hoe fo’ right dat same day, but dey woan nuffin lak dat ’round Watkinsville.”