"I don't know who I am nor what my true name is. I wus born December
25, 1860 on a plantation in New Hanover County. The plantation belonged
to John Williams, whose wife wus named Isabella and the farm wus on
land which is now in the corporate limits of Wilmington, N.C.
"The reason I don't know who I am is that I don't remember my father
and mother or any of my people. When I got so I could remember anything
I wus with the Williams family. Marster an' missus, an' their family
are the only ones I ever looked upon as my people. They never told me
who I wus.
"After the war I stayed with them a long time and helped them on the
farm. They run a truck farm. I got along all right while I wus with the
Williams family, but when I got grown I left them. I loved them but I
realized I wus a nigger and knew that I could never be like them, and
that I wus one to myself.
"When I left I went to Little Washington, N.C. Then to Plymouth. I
stayed at these places several years working as a hand on truck farms.
From there I went to Charlotte, Greensboro, and Norfolk. I then went
North an' stayed eight years in New York City as a waitman for a white
man and his family. I then went to Plymouth, N.C.
"I married Maggie Swain, a former sweetheart, as soon as I got back to
Plymouth. We had two children. She lived six years. I then married Mary
Davenport of Little Washington. We had seven children. She died and I
come to Raleigh and married Maggie Towel. We had no children by our
marriage.
"I own no home and have never owned one. Excepting the eight years I
spent in New York City my life has been spent in farming. I farm some
now and do little jobs for the white folks.
"I don't know much about slavery, as I wus too young to know much about
it. There wus other slaves belonging to Marster Williams but I don't
remember any of them because when I got so I could know what it wus all
about they were free and gone from the plantation.
"I have asked thousands of questions trying to find out who my people
are but no one has ever told me who I am or who my people are. If I
have any brothers and sisters, I don't know it.
"I have nothing to say about being partly white, I leave that to your
imagination. I have thought about it a lot. I don't know.
"I have been blessed with good health, I am breaking now but I am still
able to do light jobs.
"I am a good fiddler. The white folks have taught me to do lots of
different things. I have had very few advantages and I cannot read and
write.
"I have never been in jail in my life. I can give good references from
dozens of white folks. I try to live right, be honest and above all
give my fellow man a square deal."