dem ole patrollers diden' touch you."

      "Dey wuz er church on de plantation fer de slaves, en er dance

hall where  dey had dances.  De music wuz de fiddle, banjo, en Jewssharp;

but mos'ly dey played de fiddle."

      "All de cloth en shoes wuz made right dere on de planation.  Dr.

Bedford had a great big cabin where de 'omans done weave de cloth fer

all de close en beddin'.  He had er shoe shop where all de shoes wuz

made, en believe me, dey wuz some good weavers en cobblers on  date place."

      "Ben Johnson en Beard had plantations dat jined our'n.  Dey wuz

both mean as de Ole Nick.  I seed em whip slaves till dey mos' daid, en

throw em en er ditch dat run through de place.  Dr. Bedford he tuk em out

en treated em, en jus' kep' em.  One 'time, Ben Johnson went to court a-

bout it, but he diden' git nowhere.  De jedge, he say, 'Well, you think

dis slave wuz daid, diden' you? Now he belongs ter Dr. Bedford.' Dat

happen lots o' times - him gittin' slaves half daid, en doctorin' em,

and den he jus' kep' em."

      "I member seein' lots o' de men fun our place goin' off to war,

en I heerd em talkin' bout runnin' off ter de Nawth.  When de diffu'nt

armies come through, I member seein' Grant en Sherman,  en  ole Giner'l

Bragg de rebel gin'rel, en lots more I don't member. But I aint so good

at callin' names now."

      "I seen big baptizin's. One time  I seed 210 baptize en de

Tennessee River.  Dey sing 'Gimmie De Ole Time Religion', 'Wuz I Bawn Ter

Die En Lay Dis Body Down',  en lots more.

       "When I wuz er kid us played 'Goose en Gander',  Hide en Seek',

 Drop de Hanku'chief, en 'Ring 'round 'Rosie',"




			

Works Progress Administration (WPA) Ex-Slave Narratives

Henry Bedford, Ex-Slave Narrative