I will venture to say that I only saw my father a dozen times, when I was about four years old; and those times I saw him only from a distance, as he was driving by the great house of our plantation.  Whenever my mistress saw him going by, she would take me by the hand and run out upon the piazza, and exclaim, “Stop there, I say!  Don’t you want to see and speak to and caress your darling child?  She often speaks of you and wants to embrace her dear father.  See what a bright and beautiful daughter she is, a perfect picture of yourself.  Well, I declare, you are an affectionate father.”  I well remember that whenever my mistress would speak thus and upbraid him, he would whip up his horse and get out of sight and hearing as quickly as possible.  My mistress’s action was, of course, intended to humble and shame my father.  I never spoke to him, and cannot remember that he ever noticed me, or in any way acknowledged me to be his child.

My mother and my mistress were children together, and grew up to be mothers together.  My mother was the cook in my mistress’s household.  One morning when master had gone to Eufaula, my mother and my mistress got into an argument, the consequence of which was that my mother was whipped, for the first time in her life.  Whereupon, my mother refused to do any more work, and ran away from the plantation.  For three years we did not see her again.

Our plantation was one of several thousand acres, comprising large level fields, upland, and considerable forests of Southern pine.  Cotton, corn, sweet potatoes, sugar cane, wheat, and rye were the principal crops raised on the plantation.  It was situated near the P——­ River, and about twenty-three miles from Clayton, Ala.

One day my master heard that the Yankees were coming our way, and he immediately made preparations to get his goods and valuables out of their reach.  The big six-mule team was brought to the smoke-house door, and loaded with hams and provisions.  After being loaded, the team was put in the care of two of the most trustworthy and valuable slaves that my master owned, and driven away.  It was master’s intention to have these things taken to a swamp, and there concealed in a pit that had recently been made for the purpose.  But just before the team left the main road for the by-road that led to the swamp, the two slaves were surprised by the Yankees, who at once took possession of the provisions, and started the team toward Clayton, where the Yankees had headquarters.  The road to Clayton ran past our plantation.  One of the slave children happened to look up the road, and saw the Yankees coming, and gave warning.  Whereupon, my master left unceremoniously for the woods, and remained concealed there for five days.  The niggers had run away whenever they got a chance, but now it was master’s and the other white folks’ turn to run.

The Yankees rode up to the piazza of the great house and inquired who owned the plantation.  They gave orders that nothing must be touched or taken away, as they intended to return shortly and take possession.  My mistress and the slaves watched for their return day and night for more than a week, but the Yankees did not come back.