*Interview with Tom Johnson (83)*
*Newberry, S.C.*
--_G. Leland Summer, Newberry, S.C._
"I was born on the Gilliam place, I reckon about 1854. My father died
when I was little; I don't remember him. My mother was Lucy Gilliam who
belonged to Reuben Gilliam. Reuben Gilliam was a big farmer and
slave-owner. He was good to de nigger chaps but whipped de big ones
every day or two. I was too little to learn to read and write, but dey
never learned any slaved to do dat. Dey never paid us any money wages,
just give us eats and a place to sleep, and a little clothes. I worked
in de field when I got bigger. Never had school in de place, and never
had a church, either.
"Us children played lots of games, like rolly-hole. There are two holes
and you try to roll a ball in one hole. The white folks had
corn-shuckings, lots of them, as they raised lots of corn on de farms.
Dey had cotton pickings, too, and carding and spinning bees, quilting
bees. I used to feed de shippers when women folks spin de yarn, when I
was a small boy. We raised plenty corn, cotton, and other things. We had
a big garden, too.
"When freedom come all of us left and went off. I went back to get
something to eat. I married Mattie Kinard who belonged to old Maj. John
Kinard. We had nine children.
"I 'member de red shirts when dey come through our place. I like it
better now dan in slavery times."