SLAVE NARRATIVES - Library of Congress

Tom Rohtason. 5 ,,,_
65
^ We lived in. Cass County* It was pretty close to
the irkansas border, and *twasn*t far from Oklahoma as
is now* I remember well when, they was first gathering
them up for the war* We used to hear the cannon often.*
7/as I afraid ? To be sure I was scared, right a£ first*
Pretty soon we got used to it. Somebody even made up a
song, 'Listen to the Home-made Thunder.** They*d sing
it every time the cannon started roaring*
\^NO, ma'am there never was any fighting right
around us. I never really saw any fighting* Old man Dave
Robinson was good to me* He didn't have a big farm-—
just ov:ned me* Treated me almost like I was one of his own
children. Course, I had to work* Sometimes he whipped me
but no more than lie had to. I was just a child and any
child has got to be made to mind* He was good to me, and
old Mies was good to me. ill my masters was pretty good to
ne—lots better than the usual run* Which one I like the best*
..ell, you might ianow*I kept the name Robinson, and I named
my son Dave* You might know which one I think the most of*
^ne day I was out milking the cows* Mr. Dave come
down into the field, and he had a paper in his hand* "Listen
to me, Tom,* he said, *listen to what I reads you. 1 jma_ fc.e
re:;d from a paper all about how I was free* You can't tell