“My parents was Elsie and Manuel Jones. They had five children. The Jones was farmers at Hickory Plains. Auntie was a cook and her girl, Luiza, was a weaver and a spinner and worked about in the house.
“I heard auntie talk about the soldiers come and make them cook up everything they had and et it up faster ’en it took ’er to fix it ready for ’em to guttle down. Dems her very words. They took the last barrel er flour and the last scrap er meat they had outen the smokehouse.
“Uncle Sebe Jones was Massa Jones’ boss and wagoner (wagon man and overseer). Auntie said Uncle Sebe drunk too much. He drunk long as he lived ’cause old Massa Jones trained to that.
“Uncle Whit Jones was more pious and his young massa learned him to read and write. He was onliest one of the Jones niggers knowed how er had any learning er tall.
“The women folks spun and wove all winter while the nights be long.
“Pa said Massa Jones was pretty fair to his black folks. He fed ’em pretty good and seen they was kept warm in rainy bad weather. He watch see if the men split plenty wood to keep up the fires. Jones didn’t allow the neighbors to slash up his black folks. He whooped them if he thought they needed it and he knowed when and where to stop. Mama didn’t b’long to the same people.
“Grandma was a native of South Ca’lina. Her name was Malindy Fortner. She died over at Alex Hazen’s place. She come to some of her people’s after the War. I think ma come with her. Her own old mistress come sit on a cushion one day. The parrot say, ‘Cake under cushion, burn her bottom.’ Grandma made the parrot fly on off but the cake was warm and it was mashed flat under the cushion when she got up. She took it to her little children. She said piece of cake was a rarity. They had plenty corn bread, peas and meat.
“Grandma said after they had a baby it would be seben weeks b’fore they would let them put their hands in a washtub. They all had tasks in winter time. They sit by the fire and talk and sing. Ma said in slavery a girl had a baby and her hugging around a tree. Said her mistress come to the cabin to see about her and brought corn bread and pea pot-liquor. Said that would kill folks but it didn’t hurt her.
“Pa b’long to the Jones and Whitlocks both but he never told us about ever being sold. He told us about it took nearly two weeks one time in the bad weather to meet the boat and get provisions. His wagon was loaded and when the rain and freeze set in it caught him. He like never got back. His white folks was proud when he got back.”