White had. They was my mama, grandma, papa, auntie. My name I would lack
it better White but that is where the Dell part come in; papa b'long to
the Dells and b'fo the war he talked to me bout it. He took his old
master's name. They call him Louis Dell White. He didn't have no
brothers but my mama had two sisters. Her name was Mary White. Them was
happy days b'fo the war. The happiest days in all my life. Bout at the
beginnin' of the war Mama took cole at the loom and died. We all waited
on her, white folks too. She didn't lack for waitin' on. Something white
folks et, we et. We had plenty good grub all time long as Mars White
live.

"How'd I know bout to git in war? I heard white folks talkin' bout it.
One time I heard Mars White talkin' to my folks bout takin' us away. We
was happy an' doin' well an' I didn't lack the talk but I didn't know
what "war" was. No mam that was two years foe they got to fightin' down
at Murfreesboro. Mars White was a ruptured man. He never left our place.
I never heard bout none of my folks bein' sold. Mars White aired
(heired) all us. My papa left and never come back. I d[o]n[o] how he got
through the lines in the army. I guess he did fight wid the Yankees.

"Papa didn't speak plain. Grandma couldn't speak plain. They lisp. They
talk fast. Sound so funny. Mama and auntie speak well. Plain as I do
now. They was up wid Mars White's childern more. Mars White sent his
childern to pay school. It was a log house and they had a lady teacher.
They had a accordion. Mars Marion's neighbor had one too. All of em
could play.

"White women would plat shucks an' make foot mats, rugs and horse
collars. The white women lernt the darkie women. There was no leather
horse collars as ever I seed. I lernt to twist shucks and weave chair