gwine on nigh bout constant, en ebery one gits er present frum de
marster.

"All endurin of de war times, Marse Tom he neber raised no cotton er
tall but instid he raised de wheat, en de corn en hogs fer de
Confedrits, en de baggage waggins wud cum from time ter time fer de
loads of flour, en meal en meat dat he wud sen ter de army. De Yankees
sumhow dey missed us place en neber did fin hit, en do de damage er
bruning [TR: burning?] en sich dat I is heard dat dey done in places in
other parts of de state. We all heard one time dat de Yankees wuz close
er roun en wuz on de way ter burn Marse Tom's mill but dey got on de
wrong road en day neber did git ter our place, en us sho wuz proud er
dat too. Yit en still attar de war ober, Marse Tom, he had bout four
hundred bales er cotton on han at de barn en de Yankee govment dey sho
tuk dat en didn't pay him er bit fer dat cotton. I knows dat ter be er
fac.

"I members de war rail well, kase ye see, I wuz bout twelve year old
when hit ober. En de last two er three years of de trubble I wuz big
enuf ter be doin sum wuk, so dey tuk me in de big house fer ter be er
waitin boy round de house, en I slept in dar too on er pallit on de
floor, en er lot er times de Calvary sojers wud stop at Marse Tom's en
spen de nite, en I wud be layin on de pallit but wudn't be sleep, en I
cud hear dem talkin ter Marse Tom, en Marster he wud ax dem how de fite
cumin on, en iffen dey whippin de Yankees, en de Calvary sojers dey say
dat dey whippin de Yankees ebery day en killin em out, en Marse Tom he
sey "Yo is jes er big lie, how cum yo runnin er way iffen yo whippin dem
Yankees? Dem Yankees is atter yo, en yo is runnin frum em dats whut yo
doin. Yo know yo aint whippin no Yankees kase if yo wuz yo wud be atter
dem rite now stid dem atter yo". No Sir, dem Calvary sojers cudn't fool