“I knows dat I ain’t here far many mo years, Boss Man, en I sho hopes dat I kin git ter see some of my marsters, de Greens, ergin, ’fore I goes. I ain’t neber been back since I lef, en I ain’t neber heard frum none of ’em since I been in Arkansas, en I know en cose dat all de old uns is gone by now, but I ’spects dat some of de young uns is lef yit. I wud sho lak ter go back dar ter de old place whar de tanyard wuz, but I neber wud hab dat much money ter pay my way on de train, en den, I don’t rekkin dat I cud fine de way nohow. I wud git some of de white folks ter write er letter back dar fer me iffen I know whar ter send hit, er de name of some of my young marsters whut mebbe is dar still. Yes sir, Boss Man, I sho hopes dat I kin see some of dem white folks ergin, en dat some of dese days dey will fine me. Yo know I is de janitor at de church at Walnut Corner whar de two hard roads cross, en whar all de cars cum by. De cars, dey cum by dar frum eberywhars, en so ebery Sunday morning atter I gits through er cleanin’ up de church, I sets down on de bench dar close ter Mr. Gibson’s sto, whar dey sell de gasolene en de cold drinks, en whar de cars cum by frum eberywhar, en I sets dar er lookin’ at all dem white folks er passin’ in dey cars, en sometimes dey stop fer ter git ’em some gasolene er sumpin, en I says ter myself dat mebbe one er my young marsters sometimes gwine ter be in one of dem cars, en gwine ter drive up dar er lookin’ fer me. Er heap er times when de cars stop dar will be er white gentman in de cars whut git out en see me a settin’ dar on de bench, en he sey, ‘Uncle, yo is rail old, ain’t yo?’ An den he ax me my name en whar I borned at, en er heap er times dey buy me er cigar. Well, Boss Man, dats how cum I sets on dat bench dar at de road crossin’ at Walnut Corner ebery Sunday, mos’ all day, atter I gits through er cleanin’ up de church, jes settin’ dar watchin’ dem cars cum by en ’spectin one of dese days fer one of my young marsters ter drive up en ter fine me er settin’ dar waitin’ fer him, en when he cum, iffen he do, I know dat he sho gwine ter tek me back home wid him.”
Interviewer: Mrs. Bernice Bowden
Person interviewed: Frank Greene
2313 Saracen Street, Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Age: 78
“Yes’m, I can remember the Civil War and the Yankees, too. I can really remember the Yankees and my old boss. I can’t remember everything but I can remember certain things just as good.
“Dr. Ben Lawton was my old boss. That was in South Carolina. That was what they called Buford County at that time.
“Had a place they called the Honey Hill Fight. I used to go up there and pick up balls.
“I can remember the Yankees had little old mules and blue caps and the folks was runnin’ from ’em.
“I remember old boss run off and hid from ’em—first one place and then another.
“I remember the Yankees would grab up us little folks and put us on the mules—just for fun you know. I can remember that just as well as if ’twas yesterday—seems like.
“They burned old boss’s place down. He had five or six plantations and I know he come back and rebuilt after peace declared, but he didn’t live long.