"It was martial law and twelve men went 'round back and forth through
the county. They come down on a Monday, and told the children they
were free and told them they had no more master and mistress and told
them what to call them. No more master and mistress, but Mr. and Mrs.
Brumbaugh. Then they came down and told them that they would have to
marry over again. But my ma never had a chance to see the old man any
more. She didn't marry him over again because he didn't come back to
her. But they advised them to stay with their owners if they wanted
to. They didn't say for none of the slaves to leave their old masters
and go off. We wouldn't have left but that old colored woman beat me
around so all the time, so my mother came after me and took me home
since I wanted to go. The Yankees' officer told her it would be good
to move me from that place so I wouldn't be so badly treated. The
white folks was all right; it was that old colored woman that beat on
me all the time.