*Horace Overstreet was born in Harrison Co., Texas, in 1856, a slave of
M.J. Hall. He was brought to Beaumont when a youth and still lives
there.*
"I born near Marshall what was de county seat and my master was call'
Hall. My mother name Jennie and my father's name Josh. He come back from
de 'federate War and never got over it. He in de army with he young
massa.
"Dat old plantation must have been 'bout 200 acres or even mo', and
'bout 500 head of slaves to work it. Massa Hall, he big lawyer and
bought more niggers every year. He kep' a overseer what was white and a
nigger driver. Sometime dey whip de slaves for what dey call
dis'bedjonce. Dey tie 'em down and whip 'em. But I was raise' 'round de
house, 'cause I a fav'rite nigger.
"De niggers didn't have no furniture much in dere houses, maybe de
bedstead nail up to de side de house, and some old seats and benches. De
rations was meat and meal and syrup 'lasses. Dey give 'em de shirt to
wear, made out of lowers. Dat what dey make de cotton sack out of. De
growed people has shoes, but de chillen has no need.
"Christmas time and Fourth July dey have de dance, jus' a reg'lar old
breakdown dance. Some was dancin' Swing de Corner, and some in de middle
de floor cuttin' de chicken wing. Dey has banjo pickers. Seem like my
folks was happy when dey starts dancin'. Iffen dey start without de
permit, de patterroles run up on dem and it 150 lashes. Law, dem niggers
sho' scatter when de patterroles comes. Jus' let a nigger git de start
and de patterrole sho' got to git a move on hisse'f to git dat nigger,
'cause dat nigger sho' move 'way from dat place!
"When de war comes, I seed plenty soldiers and if dey have de uniform I
could tell it jus' in spots, for dey so dirty. Dey was Yankee soldiers
and some stops in Marshall and takes charge of de court martial.
[Illustration: _Horace Overstreet_]
"Fore long time come to go up and hear de freedom. We has to go up and
hear dat we's free. Massa Hall, he say we kin stay and he pay us for de
work. We didn' have nothin' so most of us stays, gatherin' de crop. Some
of dem gits de patch of land from massa and raises a bale of cotton.
Massa buy dat cotton and den he sell it.
"After 'while they slips away, some of 'em works for de white folks and
some of 'em goes to farmin' on what they calls de shares. I works nearly
everywhere for de white folks and makes 'nough to eat and git de
clothes. It was harder'n bein' de slave at first, but I likes it better,
'cause I kin go whar I wants and git what I wants.
"Dey was conjure men and women in slavery days and dey make out dey kin
do things. One of 'em give a old lady de bag of sand and told her it
keep her massa from shippin' her. Dat same day she git too uppity and
sass de masaa, 'cause she feel safe. Dat massa, he whip dat nigger so
hard he cut dat bag of sand plumb in two. Dat ruint de conjure man
business."