*Josh Miles, 78, was born in Richmond, Virginia, a slave of the Miles
family. In 1862 Mr. Miles brought his family and slaves to Franklin,
Texas. After he was freed, Josh worked for the railroad until he was
laid off because of old age. He lives in Mart, Texas.*
"I was born in Richmond, in Virginny, back in 1859, and my mammy and
pappy was slaves to a man named Miles, what lived in Richmond but owned
three plantations out a few miles, and 'bout fifteen hundred niggers.
Pappy was de fam'ly coachman and druv de li'l surrey when Massa gwine
see he plantations. On Sunday he druv de big coach to church. De Old
Massa wear de big stove-pipe hat and de long-skirt coat and he big
boots. Pappy, he wear de tall hat with de blue uniform with brass
buttons, and black, shiny boots. He have de long horsewhip to crack at
dem hosses--he drive four or six hosses, 'cause dat coach am big and
heavy and de roads am often muddy.
"Massa allus went to de big fairs in Louisville and Richmond, where de
big hoss races am. Dey name de hosses for Abe Lincoln and Steve Douglas,
in 1860. De bettin' song what dey sings am like dis:
"'Dere's a old plow hoss, whose name am Doug, doo, dah,
doo-dah--
He's short and thick, a reg'lar plug, oh, doo, dah, doo-dah,
doo--
We're born to work all night, we're born to work all day,
I'll bet my money on de Lincoln hoss, who bets on Steven A?'
"Well, dat de way us lives jes' befo' de war. When de presidents calls
for volunteers, Virginny goes for de Rebels, and dey moves de capitol to
Richmond. So Old Massa sees he'll be right in de thick of de war and he
'cides to come to Texas. He gits he slaves and he folks and hosses and
cattle and he household things in de covered wagon and starts. Course,
de hosses and cattle walks, and so does us niggers. But massa take he
time and stops wherever he wants. It takes two years to make de trip. He
stay de whole winter one place, and stops in Nashville and Memphis and
Vicksburg. All dese places he trade de hosses and mules and oxen and
niggers and everything else he have. But he wouldn't trade he pers'nal
slaves. Dey have de big warehouse in places like Memphis, and take de
nigger de day befo' de sale and give him plenty to eat to make him look
in good humor. Dey chain him up de night befo' de sale, and iffen he am
de fightin' nigger, dey handcuffs him. De auctioneer say, 'Dis nigger am
eighteen year old, sound as de dollar, can pick 300 pounds of cotton a
day, good disposition, easy to manage, come up 'xamine him.' Dey strips
him to de waist and everybody look him over and de good ones brung
$1,500 sometimes. I seed de old mammy and her two boys and gals sold.
One man buys de boys and old mammy cry, but it don't do no good. 'Nother
man bids de two gals and mammy throw such a fit her old massa throws her
in, 'cause she too old to be much 'count.
"De siege of Vicksburg 'gins jus' after old massa done left there, on he
way to Texas. He friends tell him all 'bout it. Coffee was $4.00 de
pound, tea $18.00, butter to $2.00 de pound, corn $15.00 de bar'l,
calico $1.75 de yard and muslin 'bout $7.00 de yard. De Rebels holds de
city long as they could. De bluff over de city have de caves in it and
dey's rented for high rent. Flour am $10.00 de pound and bacon $5.00.
Dey eats mule meat, and dey give it de French name, 'Mule tongue cold, a
la bray.'
"We keep's up with what happen and after de war dey tells us 'bout
Richmond. De lab'tory am blowed up Friday, and de Stuart home burnt.
Befo' Richmond am taken, dey sings dis song:
"Would you like to hear my song?
I'm 'fraid its rather long--
Of de 'On to Richmond,' double trouble,
Of de half a dozen trips
And de half a dozen slips,
And de latest bustin' of de bubble.
"'Pull off you coat and roll up you sleeve,
For Richmond am a hard road to travel--
Then pull off you coat and roll up you sleeve.
For Richmond am a hard road to travel.'
"Dey sung dat song to de old tune call 'Old Rosin de Beau.'
[Illustration: _Josh Miles_]
"De war ends and in de few months old massa sot he slaves free. He give
my pappy some money and he starts out for heself. He goes to Milligan
and rents land and raises he fam'ly. Old Massa never goes back to
Richmond. De Yanks gits what he left so dey no use gwine back dere. He
lives in Franklin till 1914. It ain't like Old Virginny, but dey's
plenty wild game and hawgs and he raises a bale of cotton to de acre, so
he have money once more.
"Dey's folks comin' to Texas all de time from de old states. It am de
new world and dey likes it. Dey has de Juneteenth cel'brations after
'while, and de white folks gives us beeves and hawgs to barbecue, so
Texas am de good place to stay.
"When I's 'bout growed, I starts workin' on de I. & G.N. railroad and
helps build it from Houston into Waco. I works for it for years and
years, and allus lives near de Brazos River. I's lived here in Mart
forty years.
"I doesn't have de bitter mem'ries like some de niggers. 'Cause Old
Massa allus good to us. I's had de good life and am 'bout ready to go to
Hebben, and hopes I can see Old Massa dere."