Patrollers

"I used to hear them all talk about the patrollers. I used to hear my

mother talking about them. My ma said my master wouldn't let the

patrollers come on his place. They could go on anybody else's place but

he never did let them come on his place. Some of the slaves were treated

very bad. But my ma said he didn't allow a patroller on the place and he

didn't allow no other white man to touch his niggers. He was a big white

man--a senator. He didn't know all his Negroes but he didn't allow

nobody to impose on them. He didn't let no patroller and nobody else

beat up his niggers.