*Interview with Malinda Murphy,*
*Farmington, Missouri.*
*Sent in by J. Tom Miles,*
*Farmington, Mo.*
"I was born right here and was about four years old at de time of de
war. We was owned by the Hills at Farmington. My mother plowed in the
fields, and hauled wood in de snow. We had no shoes and made tracks of
blood in de snow. Us little tots had to go all over de field and pick up
feathers. De mistress would go along with a stick and say, 'Here is
another feather to pick up.'
"When de soldiers came we had a good meal. De soldiers had on blue
coats, and when dey came we would be switching off de flies with a long
pole with paper on the end. De soldiers would then say 'We don' need
that, come on and eat with us.'
"We wore linsey dresses and all slept together and were bound to keep
warm. When de war was over we was free to go but de only thing we had
was a few rags. So we walked to Valle Mines, twenty-four miles north in
Jefferson County. We walked it twice 'cause we would carry a few rags a
little piece and den go back after de rest.
"At Valle Mines we could make a little money digging ore and selling it
to de store. De mines were on de surface and mother dug in de mines.
After we had gone to Valle Mines, Overton Hill, de son of de Hills, came
up dere and asked mother where she had hid de money and silver during de
war. She told him but after three weeks he came back in a buggy and took
mother with him to de plantation and she showed Overton where to dig
close to a cedar tree to find de money and silver."