"The servants take up what they eat in bowls and pans--little wooden
bowls--and eat wid their fingers and wid spoons and they had cups. Some
had tables fixed up out under the trees. Way they make em--split a big
tree half in two and bore holes up in it and trim out legs to fit. They
cooked on the fireplaces an' hearth and outerdoors. They cooked sompin
to eat. They had plenty to eat. But they didn't have pies and cake less
they be goiner have company. They have so much milk they fatten the pigs
on it.
"The animals eat up the gardens and crops. The man kill coon and possum
if they didn't get nough meat up at the house. I say it sure is good. It
is good as pork. The men prowl all night in the winter huntin'. If you
be workin' at the field yo dinner is fetched down thar to you in a
bucket that high [2 ft.], that big er round [1-1/2 feet wide]. The hands
all come an' did they eat. That be mostly fried meat and bread and baked
taters, so they could work.
"Old mistress say she first married Mr. Abraham Chenol. Then she married
Mr. Joel Sutton and they both died. She had two sons. She had a nephew
what come there from way off. She said he was her sister's boy. Couse
they had doctors and good ones. Iffen a doctor come say one thing the
matter he better stick to it and cure one he come thar to see. Old
mistress had three boys till one died. I was brushin' flies offen him.
She come and cry and go way cryin'. He callin' her all time. He quit
callin' her then he was dead. Made a sorter gurglin' sound. That the
first person I seed die. When they say he dead I got out and off I was
gone. I was usin' a turkey wing to brush flies offen him. I don't know
what was the matter wid em. They buried him on her place whah the grave
yard was made. Both her husbands buried down there. She had a fine
marble put over his grave. It had things wrote on it. She sent way off
an' got it. They hauled it to here in a wagon. The Masons burled him. It
was the prettiest sight I ever seed.
"Her son John had some peafowls. She had geese--a big drove--turkeys,
guineas, ducks, and geese.
"She had feather beds and wheat straw mattresses, clean whoopee! They
used cotton baggin' and straw and some of the servants had a feather
bed. Old mistress get up an' go in set till they call her to breakfast.
They had a marble top table and a big square piano. That was the parlor
furniture. They made rugs outen sheep an' goat skins.
"When she want the cook go wid her she dress her up in some her fine
dresses--big white cap like missus slep in an' a white apron tied round
her waist. We wore 5ยข calico and gingham dresses for best. She'd buy
three and four bolts at Augusta [Georgia] and have it made up to work
in. We didn't spin and weave till the war come on. Some old men come
round making spinnin' wheels. They was very plain too nearly bout rough.
Rich folks had fine silk dresses--jes' rattle when they walked--to wear
to preachin'. They sho did have preachin' an' fastin' too durin' the war
but folks didn't have fine clothes when it ended like when the war
started.