I was born in Ville Platte, Louisiana on December 7, 1859. Old Marster was Eli Tate . He died during the War. I don't remember him but I remember the old Madam. I don't remember her name but they called her 'LaPeau '. Marster had two boys and two girls. I didn't know the oldest one but I hear 'em call him Eli after the old man. They call him little Eli . They call the other Adam after old Marster's brother. I remember him. As far as I kin remember there was two girls but I don't remember their names, and I don't remember no others. I don't remember the old boss' house, but it was white. I remember Adam's house. We went there after freedom come. From the condition of the house it was built before the War. The two brothers didn't live close together. I really don't know how many slaves old Marster had. My old grandmother used to be house girl. I called her 'Ma'. She had seven sons and two daughters. They was all reared on the place and was grown when freedom come. The youngest one they claim was eight years older than me. I think one other slave was James Ross . He die several years ago. They had another one, Joe Robinson . He went by the name of Joe Tate . He die a few years ago. Besides them there was several other families. My mother name Arleda . My step-father raise me. My father's name was Martin Thomas . I used to see him. The third year after I was married and I been married over fifty years he stayed a night with me. He didn't belong to the Tates at all. I don't know who he belong to. Well as I kin remember they was field hands. My step-father raise me from two years old. I jist kin remember when he marry my mother. What make me remember 'bout the marriage was they had one of them Injun baskets full of tea cakes As far as funerals, I don't remember the ceremony. I remember 'em making the grave and making boxes and putting 'em in. And 'bout marriage I don't know what mode they had or nothing 'bout license, only I remember the preacher marry my mother.

To my remembrance they all Cath'lic. There wasn't no Baptist what I heard of in those days 'round Ville Platte. I remember old man Jim Richardson was the first Baptist preacher come 'round our neighborhood. That was long time after freedom. They say that in slavery time whenever they had a dance or a prayer meeting they had to run off to go to it, 'cause they wouldn't 'low 'em to go out. I heard 'em say that oftentime the patter-rollers was notified not to touch 'em in case they catch 'em, but to bring 'em to the Marster and den he chastise 'em or whip 'em or do whatever he want to do to 'em but they wasn't 'lowed to whip 'em. If de boss man of slaves tell the patter-rollers not to touch the slaves they wouldn't beat 'em. The Marster tell the patter-rollers, secretly to the slaves, not to touch 'em. They tell me old Marster Tate was fine to his slaves, but his son was mean, 'cause I remember after his son got married they give him one of my aunts to nurse for him, and he was so mean she ranned off from him, and come back and told old Mistress about it, and she say, 'Well, you ain't going back.' And she never did go back. She was fine, that was why they stay at the old Mistress place after freedom My old mother say they give 'em Sunday. There was very few of 'em that wouldn't give 'em as much new land as they could work, and let 'em work that. What they made on that they sold to the Marster. They work that land for two or three year. Then Master take that for his ground and give 'em more new ground. They work that on Sunday. They used to give 'em rations every week or every two week. They always did had plenty to eat. The slaves raised what they want themselves, sich as hogs and one thing and another. they used home-spun clothes 'cause I made a whole lots myself since I been big 'nough. They had looms and spinning-wheels and different things. I know all of that myself. Fur a child they give 'em a long shirt with a string in the collar for a button. Boys and girls all wore the same. The cloth was 'bout three foot wide. They make it like a sack, with a place cut out for a neck. They put in sleeves. Course, the men, they wore pants. If a marster had more slaves than he needed he call a public sale and folks bid on 'em. That why they so divided now. Many a child was sold from its mother's breast. I never heard of old Marster selling any of his slaves. It seems like he had just what he wanted. Sometime when a man die they have to divide his estate. Some of the children would want land or stock or slaves, and that make for a division of the slaves. I don't remember 'bout soldiers and war times. I heard 'em say that the first time they come and won the battle they told 'em that the niggers was free, but there was a few of 'em that wouldn't turn the niggers loose anyhow, and the second time they come and told 'em the niggers was free, and threaten what they do if they didn't turn 'em loose.I remember the horse old Marster rode. They claim he fell off the horse and broke his neck. It was a blue horse name Hiram . They claim he went to Ville Platte on account of being so worried about the slaves going to be free, and went on a spree. He fell off the horse when he coming back. I never forget 'bout the horse 'cause I knowed it. The slaves didn't have as much responsibility as after they was free, 'cause in them days, even if they was slaves they was protected.

After freedom they could be more or less abused by anybody. The old master he had to take care of 'em, but after they was free anybody could bother 'em. They didn't have no protection, you see. In '75 or '77 we move to Whiteville on the Bayou. We had what you call a little private school. After that it turn into a public school. My first teacher - but I went a little ahead of my story - was Edgar Rose . That was before we move to Whiteville. After when we first come to Whiteville we had a teacher named old man Porter . He was a white man and seem to be a Northern man. Bob Carey was the next teacher. He was no Creole, he was a mulatto. How long he taught school I don't remember. The next one was Lorenzo Shaw . That was the last teacher I went to school under. We got up as high as the eighth grade, and we was suppose to go to high school at Baldwin, Louisiana, but we didn't go. I never heard of the Klu Klux till at Mansfield a few years ago. The patter-rolls was the only secret order 'mongst the white folks I heard of. I don't remember the first time I voted but it was 'bout a year after I got married. I don't remember who I voted for but it seem like it was President Taft . Then the niggers was objected to 'bout voting and I never voted no more. I never took no interest in politics more than that. I got married the sixth of January in 1887. My wife's name was Juda . She was Scott when I married her. We were married by her grandfather. He was a preacher. We had a nice wedding, served cakes and one thing and another as was usual. Her father was named Tony Scott and her mother name was Nancy .

We had ten children, Calvin , Bud , O'Claudia , William , Mary , Joysie , Frances , Eva , and the baby one was Nancy . I got a whole lot of grandchildren, seventenn I think. My brothers and sisters was Dolsey , Frances , Odelia , Orelia , Alice , she was the baby, and Garfield , I made the eighth. The last name was Johnson . My wife still living. She 77 years old. She was born in '63 and I was born in '59. I seen a whole lots of things what could be took for ghosts or spirits, but I prove 'em out to be nothing. I never took no interest in it at all. I b'long to the Free and Accepted Masons. I used to be the treasure man. That the onliest organization I ever joined. I come to Texas in 1912 with my entire family and their wives. I never did do no public work. I cut wood, work gardens, make hay and do other things to make a honorable living. I think I only work seventeen days at the sawmill. I did carpenter work. That was my biggest moneymaking work. Course, before I come here my work was farming. I'm a member of West Tabernacle Baptist Church. I used to be a deacon, but I don't hold no office now. Then I was on the honorary deacon board, but many a time I wasn't able to go so I give that up. I's got too old.

Valmo Thomas , 78, was born a slave of Eli Tate, in Louisiana. Valmo stayed with his master several years after the slaves were freed, and remembers many incidents of those days, as well as much told him by his mother about slavery. He now lives in Beaumont, Texas. I was born in Ville Platte. That's in Louisiana. It was December 7th, 1859. Old Master was Eli Tate . He died durin' the war. We called Old Madam 'La Peau .' One of Master's sons was Eli and the other Adam . My old grandma used to be housegirl. She had nine children, all reared on the plantation. My mother's name was Arleda . My stepfather raised me from two years old. I jis' can 'member when he married my mother. What make me 'member was they had one them Injun baskets full of tea cakes. Mother said in slavery time they had to run off to go to dances or prayer meetin's. The patterrollers was told to bring 'em to Master and he'd chatise 'em. If the bossman told the patterrollers not to touch a slave they wouldn't beat him. Old Master Tate was fine to his slaves, but his son was mean. My old mother say they gave 'em Sunday. They worked their own land then. Each family had a patch. They sold what they raised to Master. They worked it on Sunday. They give 'em rations every week. They had plenty to eat. The slaves raised hawgs for theyselves. For clothes, they had homespun. I know 'cause I made a whole lots myself since I been big 'nough. They had looms and spinnin' wheels. For a child they give 'em a long shirt with a string in the collar for a button. Boys and girls all wore the same. The cloth was three foot wide. Made like a sack, cut out for a neck. They put in sleeves. When Master had more slaves than he needed he called a public sale and folks bid on 'em. That's why they's 'vided now. Many a child was sold from its mother's breast. Old Master rode a blue horse named Hiram. He fell off and broke his neck. He went to Ville Platte 'count the slaves goin' to be free and went on a spree and fell off the horse comin' back. The slaves didn't have responsibility them days. Even if they was slaves, they was protected. After freedom they'd be 'bused more or less by anybody. The old masters had to take care of 'em. We stayed with Old Madam long time after freedom. She was good. We didn't want to go and had nowhere to go. But 'bout 1876 we moved to Whiteville, on the bayou. We had a school. The teacher was Edgar Rose .  Bob Carey was next teacher. He was no Creole, he was a mulatto. We got far as the eighth grade. I got married in 1887, to Juda . Her grandfather married us. He was a preacher. We had cakes and one thing and 'nother. We had ten children and I got seventeen grandchildren. She is still alive. She is seventy-seven years old now. I 'long to the Free and Accepted Masons. I used to be the treasure man. That's the onlies' orga'zation I ever jined. I come to Texas in 1912. I cut wood and worked gardens. I did carpenter work. I'm a member of the Baptist Church. I used to be a deacon. But I got too old.