"Fore freedom? Fore freedom? Well now, fore freedom we were treated by
our former owners I will say good--cording to situation of time. Every
year when Massa and Missus gone mountains, they call up obersheer
(overseer) and say, 'Don't treat them anyway severe. Don't beat them.
Don't maul them.' (Mr. Heminingway been severe.)
"Anybody steal rice and they beat them, Miss Bessie cry and say, 'Let
'em have rice! My rice--my nigger!'
"Brookgreen and Springfield every Sunday morning, every gal and the
young one must dress up and go to the yard and Miss Bessis give 'em
candy. Don't want too much o' beating. Glad to see young women dance.
But some cruel to the colored. Some on 'Prospect,'--'Hermitage'--and
'Woodland' treat all right.
"I know the Yankee boat come to Inlet and went to Oaks sea-shore with
load of cotton. Band of our sojer gone--(Rebs--'OUR sojer!), and Yankee
sojer come off in a yawl boat and our sojer caught two of them men and
they hang that man to Oaks sea-shore. And when the Yankee find out--do
my Lord! A stir been! A stir here! Shell clean to Sandy Island! Knock
hole through the sick-house (at Brookgreen!) Pump! Well, ain't it? Brick
work pump. Well. Handle. You turn! Turn. One bucket gone up; one gone
down. Ward take care of his nigger, sho! Best man own slave! Ward and
Ploughdon sho treat they nigger right! Live 'Laurel Hill.'
"Ward had on Prospect and Brookgreen. You know what I see? Right there
to Oaks sea-sho after them people done that murdering with that man?
Take all the slave, get on flat and gone out way of shell. Gone sand
hole. Take all the people from Brookgreen and Springfield--and carry dem
to Marlboro. Boat tow flat. Carmichael came through and established the
freedom through here. They come back from Marlboro where they refugee to
and Maham Ward come back on the flat. And this Ward, share out the
rice--broke open barn. We people? Anything like a silver, bury right
there in that garden! Right to Brookgreen garden, what Hontington got
now. All Ward thing bury there. Them old time people kill you--you
meddle them thing. Cry out, 'Massa Ting!' You better let 'em stay there!
"After Freedom Miss Bessie gone to she house in Charston--Rutledge
Street Charston. And you could see way out in ocean.
"My fadder--him and Uncle Dan'l and Uncle Summer uster been fiddler.
Gone all round when the white people gone to Prospect to ball and sich
as that. Dem white people didn't treat you so brutish! Dem obersheer!"
(Aside) "Wonder Christ sake why Lula stay out that creek so long!"