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SLAVE NARRATIVES - Library of Congress

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3.<br />

me a month with her and doctored my head every day, I slept on<br />

a pallet and on a little bed she had in the room. When I went<br />

tack to Kitty's she wasn't as mean to me as she been - but mean<br />

nough then.<br />

"My mama named Amy Hardy. She had five boys, three girls.<br />

She died with a young baby. I reckon they had different papas.<br />

I was my papa's only chile. They all said that. Bout a month<br />

after I went to Dock and Kitty's, it was surrender. He (the lit-<br />

tle Negro girl's father) come, stayed all night, and took me wid .<br />

him to live. Dock wanted me to stay; I love Dock and the chil-<br />

dren. Every year till a few years ago my head get sore and run.<br />

We tried all kinds medicine on it. Don't know what cured it.<br />

"The week 'fo I left there I had a task to make a cut <strong>of</strong><br />

thread every night, a reel. When I heard papa was coming to git<br />

me, I put cotton bats under the reels and kivered em up. Good<br />

thing papa got me - Kitty would killed me when she went to spin<br />

next week. She been so mean why I done that way.<br />

"They never sold any <strong>of</strong> our set but some on the place was<br />

sold. The mothers grieve and grieve over their children be in 1<br />

sold. Some white folks let their slaves have preachin', some<br />

wouldn't. We had a bush arbor and set on big logs. Children set<br />

round on the ground. *Fo freedom I never went to preachin 1 . I<br />

kept Kitty's babies so she went. Mothers didn't see their chil-<br />

dren much after they was sold.<br />

"Fo freedom they would turn a wash pot upside-down at the<br />

door and have singin' and prayer meetin'. The pot would take up<br />

the noise. They done that when they danced too. I don't know

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