*Louis Love, 91, was born in Franklin, Louisiana, a slave of Donaltron
Cafrey, whom Louis describes as a "leadin' lawyer and once United States
Senator." At the start of the Civil War, Louis was sent to Texas with
about 300 other slaves to escape the "Yankee invaders." Louis now lives
in Orange, Texas, and says he spends most of his time sitting on the
gallery. One hand shakes constantly and his reedy voice is tremulous.*
"Well, I guess I's 'bout 91 year old. I 'member when freedom come. I
goes up to reg'stration de year I gits free. I walks up to old Doc Young
and say, 'I come reg'ster for de vote.' He say, 'You too young to vote.
You ask your missus.' Missus git de big book 'bout six inch thick where
she got all de births and deaths on dat place since she been missus and
she give me a letter sayin' I nineteen year old. I kep' dat letter till
not so long ago and burns it by mistake, 'cause I can't read.
"Dave Love he was my daddy and Tildy Love was my mama. My grandmama
raise me, though. My massa's name Donaltron Cafrey and he statue stand
in de court house square now. He was a leadin' lawyer and a United
States senator. When Senator Gibson die massa he serve out he term.
Young massa name Donaltron Cafrey, junior, and he keep de big bank in
New Orleans now.
"I never was sold to nobody. I heared folks say my folks come from
Kentucky, but my mama born on Massa Cafrey's place. He have de big
house, fine old house with galleries all 'round and big lawns. It's far
back from de road, pushin' clost to a mile, I guess. He have seven sugar
plantation and after freedom come dey rents it out at $3.00 a acre to
raise 'taters in.
"Us live in shacks 'bout like dese 'round here. Dese times am better'n
slavery times, 'cause den you couldn't go nowheres 'thout de pass or de
patterrollers git you. Dat mean 25 lashes and more when you gits home.
"My missus took us chillen to de Baptis' church and de white preacher he
preach. De cullud folks could have church demselves iffen dey have de
manager of 'ligion to kinder preach. Course he couldn't read, he jus'
talk what he done heared de white preachers say.
"I git ship one time. Dat time de overseer give me de breakin'. Dey have
stocks dey put a man in. Dey put de man leg through de holes and shut it
down. De man jus' lay dere and bawl.
"De clothes us wore was shirts and us didn't git no britches till us
big. I's wearin' britches a good many year 'fore freedom, though. Dey
give us two suit de year and us have beefhide shoes what us call
moc'sins.
"Dey wasn't no better people dan my white folks. Dey didn't 'low us to
be brutalize', but dey didn't 'low us to be sassy, neither. I holp my
grandma milk de cows.
"When de Yankees come to New Orleans dey go on to Port Hudson and have
de big fight dere. Massa order everybody be ready to travel nex'
mornin'. Dey 'bout 300 peoples in dat travel wagon and dey camps dat
night at Camp Fusilier, where de 'federates have de camp. Dey make only
five mile dat day. Dey stops one night at Pin Hook, in Vermilionville.
My brudder die dere. Dey kep' on dat way till dey come to Trinity River.
I stay dere five year.
"De overseer on de new plantation name Smoot. I wait on de table and
grandma she cook for Smoot. Dey raise sugar cane and corn and peas and
sich like. Dey have lots of pork meat. Dey have stock and one time a
calf git eat by a panther. Massa hunt dat panther and shoot him in a
tree.
"One day Smoot tell me to bring all de hands to de house when dey blows
de horn at noon. When dey gits dere old massa say dey's free as he was.
If dey stays he say he give 'em half de crop, but didn't one stay. Six
or seven what wants go back to de old home massa done give teams to and
it take dem 'bout six week comin' home. I's glad to git dere. I couldn't
see free meant no better. Missus plantation seem mighty pleasant.
"I been marry twict. Fust time a gal name Celeste, but she 'fuse to come
to Texas with me and dat 'solve de marriage. I marry dis wife, Sarah,
'bout a few year ago. Us been marry 'bout 22 year."