*Hap McQueen, 80, was born in Tennessee, a slave of the McQueen family,
who later brought Hap to Texas. He now lives in Beaumont.*
"I's born in Tennessee but dey brings me 'way from dere when I's a
little chile, what my mammy say is eight year gwine on nine. My daddy
name' Bill McQueen and my mammy name Neelie.
"We come from Tennessee in de fall in de wagons and it takes us a long
time, 'cause we camps on de way. But we gits dere and starts to work on
de new place.
"Massa have three cook women and two was my grandma and my mammy. De
dinin' room was right by de kitchen and we has plenty to eat. He was a
good massa and I wouldn't knowed it been slavery iffen dey hadn't told
me so, I was treat so good.
"Dey have a big house to take care de chillen when dey mammies workin'
in de fields, and old missus sho good to dose chillen. She comes in
herse'f every day to see dem and sometime play with dem.
"Massa son John was de overseer but de old massa wouldn't 'low him to
whip de slaves. Iffen it got to be done, old massa do it, but he never
draw blood like on de plantations 'round us. Some of dem on dose
plantations say dey ain't want Massa McQueen's niggers 'round de place,
'cause dey's free, dey fed too good and all, and dey afraid it make dere
slaves unsatisfy.
"Dey allus stop workin' Saturday afternoons and Sunday and gits pass to
go fishin' or huntin'. Sometime dey has preachin' under de arbor. Den at
dinner time dey blow de horn and de cullud folks eats at de same time as
de white folks, right where massa kin watch 'em, and if dey not enough
to eat, he say, 'How come? What de matter with de cooks?'
"He live in a two-story house builded out of lumber and all 'round in de
yard was de quarters. Dey make out of logs and most has a little patch
de massa 'lows 'em, and what dey raise dey own. My daddy raise cotton
each year and he raise sweet 'taters and bank 'em.
"Dey has Georgia hosses in de quarters. Dey was dem bed places what de
niggers slep' on. Dey bores holes in de wall of de house and makes de
frame of de bed and puts cotton mattress and quilt on dem. De white
folks have house make bedsteads, too. De first bought bed I see was a
plumb 'stonishment to me. It have big posties to hang 'skeeter bar over.
De chairs was homemake too, with de white oak splits for de bottoms.
"Massa he didn't go to de war, but he sent he oldest boy, call John. He
takes my daddy 'long to feed de stock and like dat. I goes to de camp
once to see my daddy and stays a good while. Dey fixin' to fight de
Yankee and dey rest and eat and talk. Dey shoot at de rifle ring and dey
make dem practise all dey got to know to be good soldier.
"When freedom come 'long, massa line us all up by de gallery and say,
'You is you own women and men. You is free. Iffen you wants to stay, I
gives you land and a team and groceries.' My daddy stays.
[Illustration: _Hap McQueen_]
"I marry long time after freedom and raise' two batch of chillen. My
first wife have eight and my second wife have nine.
"I 'members de story 'bout de man what owned de monkey. Dat monkey, he
watch and try do everything a man do. One time a nigger make up he mind
scare 'nother nigger and when night time come, he put a white sheet over
him and sot out for de place dat nigger pass. De monkey he seed dat
nigger with de sheet and he grab de nice, white tablecloth and throw it
over him and he follow de nigger. Dat nigger, he hear something behin'
him and look 'round and see somethin' white followin' him and he think
it a real ghostie. Den he took out and run fitten to kill hissel'f. De
monkey he took out after dat nigger and when he fall 'zausted in he
doorway he find out dat a monkey chasin' him, and he want to kill dat
monkey, but he can't do dat, 'cause de monkey de massa's pet.
"So one day dat nigger shavin' and de monkey watchin' him. He know right
den de monkey try de same thing, so when he gits through shavin' he turn
de razor quick in he hand, so de monkey ain't seein' him and draw de
back of de razor quick 'cross he throat. Sho' 'nough, when he gone, de
monkey git de bresh and rub de lather all over he face and de nigger he
watchin' through de crack. When dat monkey through shavin' he drew de
razor quick 'cross he throat, but he ain't know for to turn it, and he
cut he own throat and kill hissel'f. Dat what de nigger want him to do
and he feel satisfy dat de monkey done dead and he have he revengence."