Everything jest
kept on like it was. We heard that lots of slaves was getting land and
some mules to set up fer theirselves; I never knowed any what got land
or mules nor nothing.
We all stayed right on the place till the Yankees came through. They was
looking for slaves what was staying on. Now we was free and had to git
off the plantation. They packed us in their big amulance ... you say it
wasn't a amulance,--what was it? Well, then, their big covered army
wagons, and tuck us to Little Rock. Did you ever know where the old
penitentiary was? Well, right there is where the Yanks had a great big
barracks. All chilluns and growd womens was put there in tents. Did you
know that the fust real free school in Little Rock was opened by the
govment for colored chullens? Yes ma'am, and I went to it, right from
the day we got there.
They took pappy and put him to work in the big commissary; it was on the
corner of Second and Main Street. He got $12.00 a month and all the grub
we could eat. Unh, Unh! Didn't we live good? I sure got a good
remembrance, honey. Can't you tell? Yes, Ma'am. They was plenty of other
refugees living in them barracks, and the govment taking keer of all of
'em.
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