"My master been name Bill Cooper who had a gal an' a son. De gal been name Mary an' de boy Bill like de daddy.
"Tarbin wus a big house, but I aint nebber know de number o' slaves or 'mount o' lan' dat went wid um.
"De slaves had a church name Lazarus an' some went to de white church. Dey had us bar off frum de whites an' we use to look t'rough a glass door. I member when a preacher say, 'honor your missus an' mossa dat your days may be long for dey is your only God.' My Ma tell me when dey use to lick dem she use to sing dis song, 'do pray for me' en ma say w'en de lickin' got too hot she say 'oh God' en mossa say, 'show me dat damn man', den he say, 'I am your only God. My preacher name wus Sabie Mood.
"De slaves couldn't git any news, but dey had to work on Sunday if de week bin bad. W'en it rain dey use to shuck co'n.
"W'en Bill Cooper die he holler to me, 'I'm burnin' up' an' ma say missus say, 'iron me too hot, she meat is red like fire.'
"We use to sing song like dese;
'Mary bring de news an' Martha win de prize.
I mus die an' will die in dat day
See dat oars like feathers springing'
"I marry Sarah on December 18th. Him de only one I marry an' we had a big weddin' an' plenty o' somethin' to eat. We had fourteen chillun.
"Pa say mossa use to take de fork an' punch holes in dere body w'en he got mad. People always die frum de pisin.
"Dis is all I know I ain't go tell no lie, dat what pa say, I moved here atter de yankees come."