I had two wives and missy said I couldn't keep but one, so I takes Mary and us starts out for Texas, a-foot. Us most starved to death 'fore us got here and then us have hard time. But dere plenty wild meat and dat what us lived on three, four year. Us had two chillen and den she dies and I marry a half-Indian gal and she died. Us jus' 'greed to live together in dem days, no weddin'. Then I marries Lucie Grant and us have 11 chillen and de preacher calls us man and wife. I's pappy to 17 chillen and I don't know how many grandchillen. Lucie say more'n a hun'erd.

I'se was born in Raleigh N. C. My father and mother's name was Tom and Jane Terriell . They were captured in Africa and brought to America and sold. One brother I had. His name was James and I had two sisters, Lucindy and Sally Ford . We were separated young. My sisters was sold to Alton Ford . My father was owned by Felix Terriell , and I was gave to his son, Dalton Terriell . We had a good home and quarters. Our quarters were two long log rooms. Just one door to a room, and didn't have any windows. Our beds were made out of forked sticks stood in one corner with railing stuck in between logs of our home. We had sheep skin stretched over them. My father was wild man. He come to America and he was sold to Felix Terriell when he was brought to this county. Father's master he have to keep him locked up to keep him from running off. I worked in the field. My master he was tobacco grower. He make us work it yessir, my master he would give me nickel and sometime a dime. I would buy candy with it. We have plenty to eat. My master he have big bunch of slaves. He make old black mammy cook our grub in big old skillet. We have cornbread, no biscuit, meat syrup, yessir, sometimes we have possum and rabbits. I like possum cooked with lots sweet potatoes, cooked around big possum and corn bread and syrup is what I like best. Oh, no sir, slaves didnt have any garden, Master he have great big garden. Old mammy she cook all our grub. Oh, captain, we wear loyal cloth made in to shirt, dey old black mammy made. To work in hot weather, master he make us wear wool shirt in winter time. It sure got cold up there. We have brogans in winter time. On Sunday we have extra shirt we wear. Oh, about my master and mistress, he was good man, Mistress she was good to her slave folks. Mistress Mary she try to learn me how to read when I'se little negro, but capt. you knows I couldnt learn how. They had one baby girl when the war was over.

Mary and me, Mary was my wife, we come to Texas foot. We was most year. We walked all the way. Wild berries and rabbits was all we had to eat. We would travel a week at time with nothing on but rag tied round our waist. We nearly starved to death. My master's home was made out of rock. When master Dalton and Mistress Mary married his father take the slaves and haul rock but them with axe to make masters home. I dunno how many acres in young masters plantation he have big bunch of slaves. He would look out for his slaves. He wake us up about 4 o'clock with great iron and hammer. We work long as we could see. My master, he had jail. He had to keep my father in it. It was log. He have chain he kept on fathers leg when he bring him from work. He just chain and lock him up, cause father he wild man. I saw father whipped cause he wouldnt mind. Master, he had raw hide with 9 tails. He give him 39 licks. Every time he would hit father, he would bring the blood. I has seen lots slaves sold. You hear these cattle bawl when they gather them and take the calves away from their mammy, that is the way the slaves did. Master, when he sell slave he make us wash up good grease our faces and stand up straight. He would fatten us just like you do hogs to sell. The white, they have church on Sunday. Capt. he bunch us up and drive us over to the white church and the preacher he would read. Then he would talk to us he tell us to always tell the truth and not to hurt our own race, if we was going to negro heaven. We have negro deaths. Master he take all the negro slaves, and they would bury him or her. All us negro we put him in grave and march round it and sing song. I'se jest cant member the song. Den we all march back to our work and that was over, and that was all we could do for that negro, cause angel they take him then. I'se seen slaves run to the south. Bos, we sure did catch hell too, when we run to the south. They would whip us and then they wouldnt let us have certain food that we like and wouldnt let us stay with our wives. But I'se had a good master. He was good to black devils, that was what he called us negroes. Our master he give us pass so we could go to certain plantations. Some plantations we wasnt allowed to cross unless the master was with us, then they would raise hell with us sometimes. We rested when we went to our quarters. We would go by tank and take bath. Our master, he would always give us Sat. evening as a holiday. On Saturday nights, we all have banjo and tin pan beating and negro dance. Our master he round us up like you would bunch cattle and he drive us to church white folks church. Our master, he have great big arbor and he have one corner fixed for us black devils. On Christmas morning, we have great big time. Master he killed big yearling or big hog, and us negro fix it just like we want to and have great big dinner. Master, he would tell us stories about our Christ and on that day, he lay a babe in the horse trough, and tell us that it was born to save us if we always tole the truth. Master, he would have doctor when we got sick cause we was to valuable. We would if we was sold bring about $1000.00. If the doctor, he couldnt do anything, master would send and get old black mammy. She nearly always got us well. She charmed--she put round our neck with string and then she would go gather bark from the trees and make us tea. Some time she used moss from the bunks. Capt. most our sickness was chills and fevers.

Sometime when we get leg broke, master he would say no more account will finish us up with club. About the war, our master he with the north, but he said it wasnt right, cause he had a great big bunch slaves, he fight with north and told us that we could stay and mind our mistress. He was nearly killed in the fight and when the war was over he have doctor to write mistress to let us go free. There was great rejoicing, cause we was free. We could do what we wanted to. I had two wives. Mistress told me that I couldnt keep but one so I chose Mary , and we starts out for Texas afoot. We most starved to death fore we got here then we had hard time, but we could kill all the wild meat we wanted to and we lived that way for 4 or 5 years, then Mary she die. I cut poles and buried her. We had two children when she died and I marry another girl. She be half Indian, she lived one year then she died. Them weddings, we just agreed to live together. We didn't have ceremony like they do now. Then after my second or third wife die, I marries one other. She still living and we have 11 children. Lucie Grant she was before we marry. Boss, we have paper and have them read by preacher and he calls us man and wife. He leaves us and we have big supper and dance to celebrate our wedding, captain all foolishness. I am the father of 17 children, Lucie she have 11 children, but capt. they are 10 living and in the north all but 2. I dunno how many grand children and great grand children I have. Lucie say more than 100.