*Albert Todd, 86 years old, was born a slave to Capt. Hudson, in
Russellville, Kentucky. His master was killed in the Civil War and he
then came to Texas in a covered wagon. His "Missus" kept him a slave for
three years after the War. He now lives with his wife, daughter and two
sons at 703 Center St., San Antonio, Texas.*
"I most suppose my memory is too jumpy, but I'll try to bring it 'long
from de time I was born. I don't know de year, but it was in
Russellville, Kentucky and my massa, Captain Hudson, had a fruit
orchard. My reg'lar work was protectin' my young missus, Nannie Hudson.
She had to walk five miles to and forth from school every day and I was
her protector. I was only 8 and she was 11. I sat on the steps until she
got through larnin' and then brung her home. She come to be grown and
married and died, but I allus loved her.
"When war comes, my massa goes and gets kilt and my missus got 'gusted
with the orchard and packs up in two covered wagons and heads crossland
to Texas. We finally gets to Lavernia and gets a farm and us worked
plenty hard.
[Illustration: _Albert Todd_]
"Our missus was good to us, but one white man neighbor got a new set of
niggers every year. He say if they didn't die, they wasn't any good work
left in them after they works for him a year. He allus cut off one they
ears, so if they run away he'd know 'em.
"My clothes was a long shirt, made out of a meal sack. That's all I wore
them days. I was a slave three year after the others was freed, 'cause I
didn't know nothin' 'bout bein' free. A Mrs. Gibbs got holt of me and
makes me her slave. She was a cruel old woman and she didn't have no
mercy on me. She give me one sausage and one biscuit in the mornin' and
nothin' else all day. One day she gone and I stole some biscuits, and
she comes back and says, 'Did you take them biscuits?' She tells me if I
tells de truth she won't punish me, but she knocks me down and beats me
till I not know nothin'. But after 'while her house burns and she burns
up in it.
"But 'fore that I was goin' to run away and I goes to the road and sits
down and then my sisters comes 'long and finds me and takes me to a
place where they was livin' on the ranch of a man name Widman. We works
for him a long time and then I is free from that Gibbs woman."