"When my masters estate had been settled, I was to go with the widowed
relative to her place, she swung me up on her horse behind her and
promised me all manner of sweet things if I would come peacefully. I
didn't fully realise what was happening, and before I knew it, I was on
my way to my new home. Upon arrival her manner changed very much, and
she took me down to where there was a bunch of men burning brush. She
said, "see those men" I said: yes. Well, go help them, she replied. So
at the age of six I started my life as an independent slave. From then
on my life as a slave was a repetition of hard work, poor quarters and
board. We had no beds at that time, we just "bunked" on the floor. I had
one blanket and manys the night I sat by the fireplace during the long
cold nights in the winter.

"My Mistress had separated me from all my family but one brother with
sweet words, but that pose was dropped after she reached her place.
Shortly after I had been there, she married a northern man by the name
of David Hill. At first he was very nice to us, but he gradually
acquired a mean and overbearing manner toward us, I remember one
incident that I don't like to remember. One of the women slaves had been
very sick and she was unable to work just as fast as he thought she
ought to. He had driven her all day with no results. That night after
completeing our work he called us all together. He made me hold a light,
while he whipped her and then made one of the slaves pour salt water on
her bleeding back. My innerds turn yet at that sight.

"At the beginning of the Civil War I was still at this place as a slave.
It looked at the first of the war as if the south would win, as most of
the big battles were won by the South. This was because we slaves stayed
at home and tended the farms and kept their families.