She had a baby three months old and
the trip was hard on her and the baby but they stood it. I was her next
baby after that. Freedom done been declared. Mama said they went in
wagons and camped along the roadside at night.
"Before they left, the Yankees come. Old Master Jones treated them so
nice, give them a big dinner, and opened up everything and offered some
for them to take along that they didn't bother his stock nor meat. Then
he had them (the slaves) set out with stock and supplies to Texas.
"Mama and papa said the Jones treated them pretty well. They wouldn't
allow the overseers to beat up his slaves.
"The two Jones men put two barrels of money in a big iron chest. They
said it weighed two hundred pounds. Four men took it out there in
barrels and eight men lowered it. They took it to the family graveyard
down past the orchard. They leveled it up like it was a grave. Yankees
didn't get Jones money! Then he sent the slaves to Texas.
"Captain Jones had a home in Tennessee and one in Arkansas. Papa said he
cleared out land along the river where there was panther, bears, and
wild cats. They worked in huddles and the overseers had guns to shoot
varmints. He said their breakfast and dinner was sent to the field, them
that had wives had supper with their families once a day, on Sundays
three times.
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