SLAVE NARRATIVES - Library of Congress

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Interviewer Thomas Blmore Lucy .
Person interviewed Caroline aaith# Bassellville» Arkansas
ige 85
"Ca'line Smith's my naxae and dey calls me f Aunt Ca f line# f I was born
about de year 1855 as I was about dis high (measuring) when de War broke
out* I remembers de boys marching away in their grey uniforms just as
plain* We Chilian would watch dem as dey went away; we could see em as
we peeped through de winders and de cracks in de walls.
"I was born in Mississippi close to Columbus on de plantation of my
master, John Duncan* And he was a purty strict old master, sure, but some-
times he was kind to us# When we was set free he let us all go wherever we
wanted to, but didn't pay us nothin 1 *
"All de slaves that I remembers stayed on around in different parts of
Mississippi after de War and engaged in farmin*, and workin 1 on roads and
streets, and other public work# About forty years ago I come to Pope
County, Arkansas wid my parents and has lived here ever 1 since*
*I don't remember nothin 1 about de Klu Khix KLan or if our folks was
ever bothered wid em«
"Yes suh, I keeps workin 1 every day and likes to keep up my sewing
Plenty of it to do all de time—jest like I f m do in 1 today ♦ Ity health is
purty good ceptin 1 I has a sort of misery in my side*
"I draws a pension of $7*50 a month, but I dunno who sends it#
*I belongs to de Mventist Church, and I sure believes in always
tellin' de trufe and nofin 1 but de trufe; we better tell de trufe here,
f °r some of dese days we all gwine where nofin 1 but d* trufe will be accepted*