*Gill Ruffin, an ex-slave, was born in 1837 on the Hugh Perry
plantation, in Harrison County, Texas. He and his mother were sold to
Charley Butler, in Houston County, and about a year before the Civil War
they were bought by Henry Hargrove, who had purchased Gill's father from
Hugh Perry; thus the family was reunited. Gill now lives two miles
southwest of Karnack, on State highway No. 42.*
"I was bo'n on the Hugh Perry plantation over near Lee. My papa was name
Ruben Ruffin and mama's name was Isabella. We was sold several times,
but allus kep' the name of Ruffin. I was jus' a nussin' babe when
Marster Perry sold mammy to Marster Butler and he carried us to Houston
County. Papa was left at the Perry's but Marster Hargrove bought him and
then he bought mammy and me. That's the first time I 'member seein' my
papa, but my mama had told me 'bout him.
"De first marster I remember, marster Butler, lived in a big, two-story
log house with a gallery. The slaves lived a short piece away in little
log cabins. Marster Butler owned lots of land and niggers and he sho'
believed in makin' 'em work. There wasn' no loafin' roun' dat white man.
Missus name was Sarah and she made me a houseboy when I was small. I
allus took de co'n to mill and went after things Missus would borrow
from de neighbors. She allus made me ride a mule, 'cause de country was
full of wild prairie cattle and varmints. Missus had a good saddle pony,
and I allus rode behin' her when she went visitin'.
"When I growed up Marster Butler took me outta de house and put me to
work in de field. We had an overseer dat sho' made us step. We was used
rough durin' slavery time. We lived in log houses with wooden bunks
nailed to de walls and home-made plank tables and benches. They give us
one garment at a time and that had to be slap wore out 'fore we got
another. All us niggers went barefoot. I never sees a nigger with shoes
on till after de surrender.
"We didn' have no gardens and all we et come from de white folks. They
fed us turnips, greens, and meats and cornbread and plenty of milk. We
worked every day 'cept Sunday and didn' know any more 'bout a holiday
den climbin' up a tree back'ard. They never give us money, and we hit de
field by sun-up and stayed dere till sundown. The niggers was whipped
with a ridin' quirt.
"The woods was full of run-aways and I heered them houn's a runnin' 'em
like deer many a time, and heered dat whip when they's caught. He'd tie
'em to a tree with a line and nearly kill 'em. On rainy days we was in
de crib shuckin' corn, and he never let us have parties. Sometimes we
went fishin' or huntin' on Sat'day afternoon, but that wasn' often.
"Marster Butler was shot. He run a store on the place and one day a
white boy was pilferin' roun' and he slap him. De boy goes home and tell
his pappy and his pappy kill Marster Butler. So me and my mammy was sold
to Marster Hargrove, who owned my pappy. That was freedom to me, 'cause
Marster Henry didn' cuff his niggers roun'. I worked roun' de house
mostly, and fixin' harness and buggies and wagons.
"I never knew but one nigger to run away from Marster Hargrave. He slip
off and goes to Shreveport. That was Peter Going. Marster missed him and
he goes to fin' him. When he fin's him in Shreveport, he say, 'Come on,
Peter, you knowed what you was doin' and you's goin' to pay for it.'
Marster tied him behin' de buggy and trots de hosses all way back home.
Then he ties Peter to a tree and makes him stay dere all night with
nothin' to eat. Peter, nor none of the res' of the niggers didn' ever
try to run off after that.
[Illustration: _Gill Ruffin_]
"I don' 'member much 'bout de war. I see the infantry one time over thar
close to where Karnack is. I was sittin' on a mule when they pass. All
they say is, 'Better git on home, nigger.'
"Marster lef' for de war but didn' stay long. He wouldn' tell us niggers
we was free after surrender and we worked on the plantation more'n a
year after that.
"After I lef' the Hargroves I lived with my pappy and mammy till I
married Lucinda Greer and we raised two boys and two girls to be grown
and married. They all dead now, and since my wife died, about 8 years
ago, I live here with Will Jones, my grandson."