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Oklahoma Writerst Project
de gallery wic1~ a paper in his hand, and when we all cOrne up he say come and. stand close to de gallery. Den he call off everybody1s name and. see we all dar.

	Setting on de gallery in a hlde..bottom chair was a man we never see before. He had. on a big broad. blaok hat lak de Yankees wore but it clin‘t have ~o yaller string on lt lak most de Yankees had, and he was In store clothes dat wasn‘t homespun or jeans, and dey was black. His hair was pli.unb gray and so was his beard, and. it come way down here on his chest, but he didn‘t look la~ he was very old, tcau.se his face was king of fleshy and. healthy lookin~ i~ think we all been sold. off in a bunch, and I notice some kindof smiling, and. I think they shot glad of it.

	De man say, IIYOU darkies IQI0W what day dis is~~ ~e talk kind, and staue .

	~e all don‘t 1Q10W of course, and we jest stand. dat and grin. Pretty soon he asic again and de. he~ man say, No, we dontt know.

	“Well dis de fourth day of June, and dis Is 1865, and I want you all to ‘member de date, 1cause you allus going ~ de day. ~day you is free, Jest lak I is, and. Mr. Saunders and your Mistress and all us white people ‚ man say.

	UI come to tell you“, he say/, ~~nd I wants to be she‘ you all under-‘

stand, tcause you dontt have to git up and. go by de horn no more. You is your owii bosses now, and. you dOfltt have to have no passes to go and come.~~

	We never did. have no passes, nohow, but we lmowed lots of other niggers on other plantations got 1em.

	III wants to bless you and hope you always is happy, and tell you got all de right and lief dat any white people gotU, de man say, and den he git on his hoes and ride off.

	We all jest watch hirn go on clown de road, and den we go up to

Mr, Saunders and. ask hirn what he want us to do • He j est grunt and. say do lak we