SLAVE NARRATIVES - Library of Congress

"Granny's head was all split open* I lived to see all that* White
folks said her husband done it but she said one of her old master's struck
her on the head with a shoe last#
"My papa said he'd hit boards and stood on them all day one after
another working cold days*
"Master Wade Deal at freedom give papa a pair of chickens, goats,
sheep, turkeys, a cow; and papa cleared ten acres of ground to pay for his
first mule* He bought the mule from Master Wade Deal*
"Old Master Deal used to run us from behind him plowing* We tease him,
say what he'd say to the horse or mule* He'd lock us up in the smokehouseo
We'd eat dried beef and go to sleep* He was a good old man*
"Grandpa Henry Pool went to war* Papa was sold from the Pools to the
Deals• Grandpa played with us* He'd put us all up on a horse we called
Cld Bill* He said he got so used to sleeping on his blanket on the ground
in war times till he couldn't sleep on a bed* He couldn't get off asleep*
"Grandpa found a pitcher of gold money been buried in old Master Pool's
stable* He give it to them* They knowed it was out there*
"Mother was with Miss Betty Beed in most of war times* Miss Betty hid
their jewelry and money* She spoke of the Yankees coming and kill pretty
chickens and drink up a churn of fresh milk turned ready for churning* It
oe in the chimney corner to keep warm* They'd take fat horses and turn
their poor ones in the lot* They never could pass up a fat hog* They
cleaned out the corn crib*
"All ray kin folks was field hands* I ploughed all day long*
"Papa said his ole distress Deal was out under an apple tree peeling
apples to dry* A white crane flew over the tree and fluttered about over
ter* Next day she died* Then the old man married a younger woman*
z.