"My mother was named Charlotte Smith and father was named Richmond
Sanders. You know niggers were sold an' traded an' given away just like
stock, horses, mules an' de like in slavery time.
"My mother belonged to John Smith and father belonged to Richmond
Sanders. I belonged first to John Smith, but was give away when I was a
child to Solomon Gardner. John Smith's plantation was in Johnston
County near Smithfield. Solomon Gardner's place was in Wake County. All
these people are dead an' gone. My uncle, Ben Thomas, died 'bout one
month ago in Johnston County. He was the last of the old gang. Mother
and father said we got reasonably good food and clothes. The houses
were small and poorly furnished but were warm and they got on very
well. There was 'bout twenty-five slaves on the place and they worked
long hours under overseers.
"The rules were strict about books, goin' visiting an' having meetings
of any kind. No slave was allowed to carry guns or hunt without some
white man with him unless his marster give him a pass. Dey caught
rabbits in gums, birds in traps an' hunted possums wid dogs at night.
Dere was not much time for fishin' cept at lay-by time and at de Fourth
of July. Den slaves an' whites sometime went fishin' in de Neuse River
together. At Christmas de holidays was give slaves and den dey had
plenty to eat, shoes, etc.
"Slaves were sold at Smithfield on a auction block but a lot were
carried to Richmond, Va. and to Fayetteville, N.C. Children were not
made to work till dey got 12 or 14 years old unless it was some light
work around de house, mindin' de table, fannin' flies, an' pickin' up
chips to start a fire, scratchin' marster's head so he could sleep in
de evenings an' washin' missus feet at night 'fore she went to bed.
Some of de missus had nigger servants to bathe 'em, wash dere feet an'
fix dere hair. When one nigger would wash de missus feet dare would be
another slave standin' dere wid a towel to dry 'em for her. Some of
dese missus atter de war died poor. Before dey died dey went from place
to place livin' on de charity of dere friends.
"I was born 2nd Sunday in May 1860. I remember seein' de Yankees but I
know very little 'bout 'em. Guess mos' all dem Yankees are dead now. De
ones dat whupped an' de ones dat got whupped are mos' all dead. I
lerned to read an' write since slavery. I remember de Yankees. Dey give
us chilluns hardtack. Dey had cans on dere backs an' guns, blue clothes
an' brass buttons on dere clothes. Dey had covered wagons in front an'
dey was walkin'. I remember seein' dem kill a hog and take part of de
hog an' carry it off on dere backs.
"De only time I saw anything in de slave situation dat made a big
impression on my mind was when Marster Thomas tied my Aunt Anne Thomas
to a peach tree and whupped her. I will never forgit how she cried.
Another thing I 'members, my uncle teached me to cuss folks. His name
was Needum Thomas. I can remember fore I could walk better than I can
remember happenings now.
"Atter de war my daddy took mother an' moved to Dr. Leach's in Wake
County, next year we went to Mrs. Betsy Jordan's plantation in Johnston
County. The fourth year atter the war they put me to work. We stayed
with the Jordans several years then we moved to Mr. Thomas' where my
aunt was whupped in slavery time an' de marster dat owned some of our
people in slavery time. We stayed there a few years. Then we moved to
John Avery's near Smithfield. Father bought a place there an' paid for
it.
"Father believed in whuppin like de white folks did. He cut de blood
out of me wid a switch an' scarred me up an' I left him. When I was
twenty-one, a free man, I went back an' paid father for every day I was
away from him from de time I ran away at 16 years old till I was
twenty-one. I owed him dat 'cause I was his until I was free. I
believes dat is why God has allowed me to live such a long time, 'cause
I paid a just debt. Daddy said before he died I had done more for him
dan de other chilluns. He whupped me too much but atter all he was my
father an' I loved him an' paid him all I owed him for de time I was
away.
"I married three times in Raleigh. I married Juliva Smith, she lived
one and one half years. We had one child dat lived six days. I have no
more chilluns. I married Mahalda Rand. She lived a year and three
months and the third an' last time I married Maggie Taylor. I lived
with her eleven years an' she died. I am single now.
"Haywood Smith was my first father-in-law. He is 'bout 108 years ole.
He lives at de County home.
"I am livin' right in dis world tryin' to be ready when God calls me.
Slavery was bad. Workin' the colored people over two hundred years
without giving 'em anything but dere food an' clothes. Yes slavery was
bad."