Arkansas, on the Military Road. Never been outside the state in my life.
I was born ninety years ago. I been here in Pulaski County nearly
fifty-seven years.

"I was born in a old double log house chinked and dobbed. Nary a window
and one door. I had a bedstead made with saw and ax. Chairs were made
with saw, ax, and draw knife. My brother Orange made the furniture. We
kept the food in boxes.

"My mother's name was Mandy Bishop, and my father's name was Jerry
Bishop. I don't know who my grand folks were. They was all Virginia
folks--that is all I know. They come from Virginia, so they told me. My
old master was Harmon Bishop and when they divided the property I fell
to Miss Evelyn Bishop.


Age

"The first man that came through here writing us up for the Red Cross, I
give him my age as near as I could. And they kept that. You know peace
was declared in 1865. They told me I was free. I got scared and thought
that the speculators were going to put me in them big droves and sell me
down in Louisiana. My old mistress said, 'You fool, you are free. We are
going to take you to your mammy.' I cried because I thought they was
carrying me to see my mother before they would send me to be sold in
Louisiana. My old mistress said she would whip me. But she didn't. When
we got to my mother's, I said, 'How old is I?' She said, 'You are
sixteen.' She didn't say months, she didn't say years, she didn't say
weeks, she didn't say days; she just said, 'You are sixteen.' And my
case worker told me that made me ninety years old.