"A year and a half after that the mama married a black man and us three farmed the little farm. My steppapa didn't like me. I was light. He and me couldn't get along. So when I had 20 years I left there and hired myself out. I saved till I bought a little piece of land for myself. Then I married and raised the family. Me and my wife and the children farmed that place up to ten years ago and then she died. My son farms the place now and I came to Beaumont. I live with my girl.
"I remember me in time of war we danced. Round dances. We sang and danced La Boulangere in time of war. De song go:
"'La Boulangere ait ta victoire Et nous, qui sont en guerre, Voici le jour que je dois partir.
"'Mon cher ami, tu pars, Tu me laisses un enfant dans les bras et prend tes armes. Et moi, je vais dans le moment verser des larmes.
"'Quand je serai en le guerre, [Handwritten Note: à la guerre?] Tu serais de garnison, Et tu m'oublirais moi, Qui serai en les haillons.
"'J'entends le tombour qui m'appelle A les points de jour. Mon cher Armande, si tu m'aimes Tu penserais à moi, quand tu serais, Dans tes plaisir. Moi--que serai au bout du fusil!'
"I got one real scare. I was with M'sieur Arceneaux in Lafayette. There was the battle. Lots of fighting. Lots of killing. The Yankees came right inside the house. I stayed hid.
"I don't know whether it's been better since the war. At all times one has his miseries. We managed to get along on the farm. But now I have nothing. Oh, I don't mean slavery was better than to be free. I mean times were better.
"The reason I'm so light is, my mama was half-white. My papa was Neville Broussard and he was all white.
FANNIE BROWN, aged Negro of Waco, Texas, does not know her age. She was born near Richmond, Virginia, a slave of the Koonce family. They sold her to Mrs. Margaret Taylor, of Belton, Texas, when Fannie was only five years old, and she never saw her mother again.
"I was borned near Richmond, over in Virginy, but Massa Koonce sold me. When I was five year old he brung me to Belton and sold me to Missy Margaret Taylor, and she kep' me till she died. I was growed den and sold to Massa Jim Fletcher and dere I stayed till I was freed.
"Dere no spring near Massa Fletcher's place and us have to git water out de well, what dey call de sweep well. Dey cut down a young saplin' and weight it on one end with rocks and tie de bucket on a rope on de other end and brace de pole over de well.