Interviewer: Miss Irene Robertson
Person interviewed: Hammett Dell, Brasfield, Arkansas
Age: 90
[-- -- 1937]

[TR: Some word pronunciation was marked in this interview. Letters
surrounded by [] represent long vowels.]


"I was born in Tennessee, 10 miles from Murfreesboro. They call it now
Releford. I was born October 12, 1847. I stayed wid old master till he
died. I was bout thirty-five years old. He lernt me a good trade, brick
layin'. He give me everything I needed and more. After the war he took
me by the old brass lamp wid twisted wick--it was made round--and lernt
me outer the Blue Back Speller and Rithmetic. The spelling book had
readin' in it. Lady ain't you seed one yit? Then I lernt outer Rays
Rithmetic and McGuffeys Reader. Old master say it ginst the law to teach
slaves foe the war. Dat what he said, it was ginst the law to educate a
nigger slave. The white folks schools was pay foe the war.

"My old master had a small farm. His wife died. He never married no
more. I caint member her name. She died when I was a little bitter of a
boy. They had a putty large family. There was Marion, William, Fletcher,
John, Miss Nancy, Miss Claricy, Miss Betsy. I think that all. The older
childern raised up the little ones. My master named Mars Pleasant White.
Long as I stayed wid him I had a plenty to eat an' wear an' a dollar to
spend. I had no sense to save a cent for a old day. Mars White was a
good man if ever one lived. He was a good man. Four old darkies all Mars