File							District # 6
Copied							Clark County
1-15-41							Racial Group
bw

				19/3/270



				JOSEPH RINGO

				Ex-Slave, 86 years.


	"I was bawn en Mason County, Kaintucky, en my father en mother

wuz Isaac en Ann Ringo."

	"Us belonged ter John French, en he diden' have many slaves.  He

jes' had Eran Smith, en mother en six of us chillun, me, Bill, Harriet, 

Henry, Eddie, en Milford."

	"Father was give his freedom, en he try ter git us en slip us a-

way, but dey caught on ter him, en would'nt let him come a near any more."

	"French had a fair plantation; I reckon dey wuz bout 300 acres.

He raised tobacker, wheat en cawn, en all de vegetables us used, en hogs

en some cattle."

	"His house wuz er eight room, weather boarded log cabin.  He had

two girls en one boy."

	"Our cabin diden' set fur fum de house, en Eran's cabin wuz right

close ter our'n.  Dat cabin wuzn't comfu'table a tall."

	"I'd up at four in de mornin's, and when de weather wuz good fer

de cows ter sleep out en er pasture, I'd go drive em en fer ter milk.

Many de time I'd stan' en er cow bed ter wahmn my feet.  Us diden' git but

one pair of shoes er year, en dey had ter las' us when de winter set en."

	"I member when de Yankee sojer's wuz campin' roun Minerva, Kaintucky

six of em come up ter de big house one day, en put dey hosses en er stable,

en feeds em, en den dey lays roun' on er grass.  Finely, dey got up offen er

			

Works Progress Administration (WPA) Ex-Slave Narratives

Joseph Ringo, Ex-Slave Narrative