"I can 'member when this used to be a Injun place. I've seen old Injun mounds. White folks come and run 'em out and give 'em Injun Territory.
"I heered the guns in the war and seed the folks comin' home when the war broke. They said they was fitin' 'bout freedom, tryin' to free the people. I 'member when they was fitin' at Marks Mill. I know some of the people said that was where they was sot free.
"I don't know as I seed any Ku Klux when they was goin' round. Hearin' 'bout 'em scared me. I have a good recollection. I can remember the first dream I ever had and the first time I whistled. I can remember when I was two or three years old. Remember when they had a big old conch shell. Old master would blow it at twelve o'clock for 'em to come in.
"Old master was good to us but I 'member he had a leather strap and if we chillun had done anything he'd make us younguns put our head 'tween his legs and put that strap on us. My goodness! He called me Pat and called his own son Bug—his own son Junie. We played together. Old master had nicknames for everybody.
"My first mistress was named Miss Mary but she died. I 'member when old master married and brought Miss Becky home.
"Marse John (he was old master's oldest son) he used to tote me about in his saddle bags. He was the overseer.
"I 'member old master's ridin' hoss—a little old bay pony—called him Hardy. I never remember nobody else bein' on it—that was his ridin' hoss.
"Old master had dogs. One was Gus and one named Brute (he was a red bone hound). And one little dog they called Trigger. Old master's head as white as cotton.
"I do remember the day they said the people was free—after the war broke. My father come and got me.
"Now I'm givin' you a true statement. I've been stayin' by myself twenty-three years. I been here in Pine Bluff—well I jest had got here when the people was comin' back from that German war.