Mr. Crowder, Lettie's master, was ill during the war, having a cancer on
his left hand.

Lewis reports that Mr. Crowder was a very hard master but a good one
saying, "That it wasn't any use for the "patty-role" (the Patrol) to
come to Marse Crowder's, 'cause he would not permit him to "tech one of
his darkies."

Mrs. Crowder, the "ole mistis", had died just before the war broke out
and Mr. Crowder lived alone with his house servants.

There were two young sons in the war. The oldest son, Col. Crowder, was
in Virginia.

Lewis said that his Master whipped him only once and that was for
stealing. One day when the old master was taking a nap, Lewis "minding
off the flies" and thinking his "marster" asleep slipped over to the big
table and snatched some candy. Just as he picked up a lump, (it was
"rock candy,") "Wham! Old [HW: Marster] [mastah] had me, and when he got
through, well, Lewis, didn't steal anymore candy nor nothin'." "Mastah
nevah took no foolishness from his darkies."

Lewis remembers very clearly when Mr. Crowder gave his darkies their
freedom. "Mastah sont me and my mammy out to the cabin to tell all de
darkies to come up to de "big house". When they got there, there were so
many that [HW: they] [some] were up on the porch, on the steps and all
over the yard."

"Mr. Crowder stood up on the porch and said, "You darkies are all free