Kemo, Kimo, dar you are
Heh, ho rump to pume did'dle.
Set back pinkey wink,
Come Tom Nippecat
Sing song Kitty cat, can't
You carry me o'er?
2
Up de darkies head so bold
Sing song, Kitty, can't you
Carry me O'er?
Sing Song, Kitty, can't yo'
Carry me home?
I wuz at Pamplin an' de Yankees an' Rebels were fightin' an' dey were
wavin' the bloody flag an' a confederate soldier wuz upon a post an'
they were shootin' terribly. Guns were firin' everywhere.
All a sudden dey struck up Yankee Doodle Song. A soldier came along [HW:
and] called to me, "How far is it to the Rebels", an I honey, wuz feared
to tell him. So, I said, "I don't know". He called me again. Scared to
death [HW: I was]. I recollect gittin' behind the house an' pointed in
the direction. You see, ef de Rebels knew dat I told the soldier, they
would have killed me.
These were the Union men goin' after Lee's army which had don' bin 'fore
dem to Appomattox.
The Colored regiment came up behind an' when they saw the Colored
regiment they put up the white flag. (Yo' 'member [SP: 'menber] 'fo' dis
red or bloody flag was up). Now, do you know why dey raised dat white
flag? Well, honey, dat white flag wuz a token dat Lee, had surrendered.
Glory! Glory! yes, child the Negroes are free, an' when they knew dat
dey were free dey, Oh! Baby! began to sing:
Mamy don't yo' cook no mo',
Yo' ar' free, yo' ar' free.
Rooster don't yo' crow no mo',
Yo' ar' free, yo' ar' free.
Ol' hen, don't yo' lay no mo' eggs,
Yo' free, yo' free.
Sech rejoicing an' shoutin', you never he'rd in you' life.
Yes, I can recollect de blowin' up of the Crater. We had fled, but I do
know 'bout the shellin' of Petersburg. We left Petersburg when de
shellin' commenced an' went to Pamplin in box cars, gettin' out of de
way. Dem were scared times too, cause you looked to be kilt any minute
by stray bullets. Just before the shellin' of Petersburg, dey were
sellin' niggers for little nothin' hardly.
Junius Broadie, a white man bought some niggers, but dey didn't stay
slave long, cause de Yankees came an' set 'em free.
450003
Interview of Mr. Charles Crawley, Ex-slave
By--Susie Byrd--Petersburg, Virginia
Date--February 20, 1937