*Callie Shepherd, age 84, lives at 4701 Spring Ave., Dallas, Texas. She
was born near Gilmer, Texas, in 1852, a slave of the Stevens family. At
present she is cared for by her 68 year old son and his wife.*
"Course I kin tell you. I got 'memberance like dey don't have nowadays.
Dat 'cause things is goin' round and round too fast without no settin'
and talkin' things over.
"I's native born right down here at Gilmer on de old place and Miss
Fannie could tell you de same if she could be in your presence, but she
went on to Glory many a year ago. She de one what raised me, right in de
house with her own chillen. I slep' right in de house, in de chillens'
room, in a little trundle bed what jus' pushed back under de big bed
when de mornin' come. If her chillen et one side de table I et t'other
side, right by Miss Fannie's elbow.
"Miss Fannie, she Dr. Steven's wife and dey from Georgia and lived near
Gilmer till de doctor goes off to de war and takes a sickness what he
ain't never get peart from and died. Died right there on de old place.
He was a right livin' man and dey allus good to me and my mammy, what
dey done brought from Georgia and she de main cook.
"My mammy don't think they ain't nobody like Miss Fannie. My mammy, she
a little red-Indian nigger woman not so big as me, and Miss Fanny tell
her, 'Don't you cry 'cause dey tryin' make freedom, 'cause de doctor
done say we is gwine help you raise your babies.'
"Some de niggers don't like de treatment what dey white folks gives 'em
and dey run away to de woods. I'd hear de nigger dogs a-runnin' and when
dey cotch de niggers dey bites 'em all over and tears dey clothes and
gits de skin, too. And de niggers, dey'd holler. I seed 'em whip de
niggers, 'cause dey tolt de chillen to look. Dey buckled 'em down on de
groun' and laid it on dey backs. Sometimes dey laid on with a mighty
heavy hand. But I ain't never git no whippin' 'cause I never went with
de cullud gen'ration. I set right in de buggy with de white chillen and
went to hear Gospel preachin'.
[Illustration: _Callie Shepherd_]
"I danced at de balls in de sixteen figure round sets and everybody in
dem parts say I de principal dancer, but I gits 'ligion and left de old
way to live in de 'termination to live beyon' dis vale of tears.
"I have my trib'lations after my old daddy die, 'cause he good to us
little chillen. But my next daddy a man mighty rough on us. Dat after
Miss Fannie done gone back to Georgia and my back done hurt me all de
time from pullin' fodder and choppin' cotton. It make a big indif'rence
after Miss Fannie gone, and de war de cause of it all. I heered de big
cannons goin' on over there jus' like de bigges' clap of thunder.
"Me and de little chillen playin' in de road makin' frog houses out of
sand when we hear de hosses comin'. We looks and see de budallions
shinin' in de sun and de sojers have tin cups tied on side dere saddles
and throwed dem cups to us chillen as dey passed. Dey say war is over
and we is free. Miss Fannie say she a Seay from Georgia and she go back
dere, but I jus' stay on where I's native born."