a kid de boats used to come a-sailin' up de river 'bout once a week an'
I used to know de names o' all de big ones. Dey would stop an' pick up a
load o' cotton to carry to Mobile. When dey come back dey would be
loaded wid all kin' o' gran' things.

"Us chillun had a big time playin' roun' de dock. Us played 'Hide de
Switch' an' 'Goose and Gander' in de day time. Den at nighttime when de
moon was shinin' big an' yaller, us'd play 'Ole Molly Bright.' Dat was
what us call de moon. Us'd make up stories 'bout her. Dat was de bes'
time o' all. Sometimes de old folks would join in an' tell tales too.
Been so long I forgits de tales, but I know dey was good'ns.

"When I got big 'nough to work I he'ped 'roun' de lot mostly. Fac' is
I'se worked right 'roun' white folks mos' all my days. I did work in de
fiel' some, but us had a good overseer. His name was Marse Frank Beeks
an' he was good as any white man dat ever lived. I don't never 'member
him whippin' one o' de slaves, leastways not real whippin's. I do
'member hearin' 'bout slaves on other places gittin' whipped sometimes.
I guess Niggers lak dat wished dey was free, but I didn' want to leave
my white folks, ever.

"Us had preachin' an' singin'. Dey was some mighty good meetin's on de
place. Old Daddy Young was 'bout de bes' preacher us ever had. Dey was
plenty o' Niggers dere, 'cause it was a powerful big place. Old Daddy
could sho' make 'em shout an' roll. Us have to hol' some of 'em dey'd
git so happy. I knowed I had 'ligion when I got baptized. Dey took me
out in de river an' it took two of 'em to put me under. When I come up I
tol' 'em, 'turn me loose, I b'lieve I can walk right on top o' de
water.' Dey don' have no 'ligion lak dat now-a-days.