suggested she list me in the census as George Fordsman, which she did,
but she never allowed me to attend the Freedmen's School, desiring to
keep me with her own children and let me be taught at home. My mother's
half brother, Patent George allowed his name to be reversed to George
Patent when he enlisted in the Union Service at the outbreak of the
Civil War."

Some customs prevalent in the earlier days were described by George
Fordman. "It was customary to conduct a funeral differently than it is
conducted now," he said. "I remember I was only six years old when old
Mistress Hester Lam passed on to her eternal rest. She was kept out of
her grave several days in order to allow time for the relatives, friends
and ex-slaves to be notified of her death.

"The house and yard were full of grieving friends. Finally the lengthy
procession started to the graveyard. Within the George's parlors there
had been Bible passages read, prayers offered up and hymns sung, now the
casket was placed in a wagon drawn by two horses. The casket was covered
with flowers while the family and friends rode in ox carts, horse-drawn
wagons, horseback, and with still many on foot they made their way
towards the river.

"When we reached the river there were many canoes busy putting the
people across, besides the ferry boat was in use to ferry vehicles over
the stream. The ex-slaves were crying and praying and telling how good
granny had been to all of them and explaining how they knew she had gone
straight to Heaven, because she was so kind--and a Christian. There were
not nearly enough boats to take the crowd across if they crossed back
and forth all day, so my mother, Eliza, improvised a boat or 'gunnel',
as the craft was called, by placing a wooden soap box on top of a long