*Margrett Nillin, 90, was born a slave to Charles Corneallus, at
Palestine, Texas. After they were freed, Margrett and her mother moved
to Chamber's Creek, Texas. She now lives with one of her children at
1013 W. Peach St., Fort Worth, Texas.*
"Yas, sar, I's de old slave, and 'bout my age, I am young woman when de
War started. Mus' be 90 for sure and maybe more. My marster's name was
Charles Corneallus and hims owned a small farm near Palestine and him
had jus' four slaves, my mammy, my sister and my cousin and me. I don'
know 'bout my pappy, for reason he's sold 'fore I's born and I ain'
never seed him.
"I tell you 'bout de place. Dere was a cabin with bunks for to sleep on
and fireplace for to cook in. No window was in dat cabin, jus' a hole
with a swingin' door and dat lets flies in durin' de summer and col' in
durin' de winter. But if you shut's dat window dat shut out de light.
"De marster ain' de boss of dis nigger, 'cause I 'longs to Missy
Corneallus and she don' 'low any other person boss me. My work was in de
big house, sich as sewing, knitting and 'tending Missy. I keeps de flies
off her with de fan and I does de fetching for her, sich as water and de
snack for to eat, and de likes. When she goes to fix for sleep I combs
her hair and rubs her feet. I can't 'member dat she speak any cross
words to dis nigger.
"Our marster, he good to us and take we'uns to church. And whuppin', not
on him place. De worst am scoldin'. Not many have sich a good home,
'cause lots gits 'bused powerful bad. Marster's neighbor, he's mean to
his niggers and whups 'em awful. De devil sho' have dat man now!
"My mammy git de p'sentment lots of times. Often in de mornin' she say
to me, 'Chile, dere am gwine be someone die, I seed de angels last night
and dat am sho' sign.' Sho' 'nough, 'fore long we heered someone has
died. Some says de haunts brings p'sentment to mammy.
"Fore de War I hears de white folks talking 'bout it. I 'members hearin'
'bout someone fires on de fort and den de mens starts jinin' de army. De
marster didn' go and his boy too young. We didn' hear lots 'bout de War
and de only way we knows it goin' on, sometimes we'uns couldn' git
'nough to eat.
[Illustration: _Margrett Nillin_]
"After freedom we'uns see de Klux and dey is round our place but dey not
come after us. Dey comes across de way 'bout a nigger call Johnson, and
him crawls under him house, but dey makes him come out and gives him
some licks and what de bellow come from dat nigger! Him had git
foolishment in him head and dey come to him for dat.
"After de war mammy and me goes to Chamber's Creek and takes de sewin'
for make de livin'. We gits 'long all right after awhile, and den I
marries Ben Nillin. He dies 'bout fifteen year ago and now I lives with
my son, Tom, and don' work 'cause I's too old.
"What I likes bes, to be slave or free? Well, it's dis way. In slavery I
owns nothin' and never owns nothin'. In freedom I's own de home and
raise de family. All dat cause me worryment and in slavery I has no
worryment, but I takes de freedom."