"I remember mighty little about the war. I never thought anything about
the war. All I did then was a crowd of us little chaps would go to the
woods and tote in the wood every day for the cook woman. That's what I
followed. Never did nothing else but play till after the war.

"After surrender I went with my father and mother to work for General
Tom Dockery. He was John Dockery's brother. I was big enough to plow
then. I followed the plow all the time. My father and mother were paid
for their work. We stayed there about five years and then moved to
Falcon, Arkansas. Father died there.

"In the time of the war I heard the folks talkin' about freedom, and I
heard my father talk about the Ku Klux but that was all I knowed, just
what he said about it.

"I remember the presidents and I voted for some of them but oh Lord, I
haven't voted in several years.

"I got along after freedom just as well as I ever did. I never had no
trouble--never been in no trouble.

"About the world now--it looks like to me these days things are pretty
tight. I could hardly tell you what I think of the younger generation. I
think one thing--if the old heads would die all at once they would be
out, because it's all you can do to keep em straight now.

"I went to school only three months in my life. I learned to read and
write very well. I don't need glasses and I read principally the Bible.
To my mind it is the best book in the world. Biggest part of the