Dibble, Fred.	.
	Beaumont, Jefferson Co.,Dist,#3	Pa~ 2	95



The ol‘ niarat er I thought was d~e neane ‘ man de Lawd ever made • Lo oit like he c~xia ev‘y time he open he iamth. De nei~tbor w‘tte folks, some

good, SOme bad. My work was cleanin‘ up ~ roan de hou.se and nues 1& de chilien. Oi~1y times I went to ch~roh when day tuk us long to m1n d.e chilien. mien de battle of Manfielt ~ ~ ~3j~3j~ gtt o~it m~ich. When

. de Ya~tkees was Commt to Gran‘ Cane, ~y wttte folks dig a big pit and put der aient end foui‘ an~ all in it and. cover it over wid dirt and put wagon loads of pine straw over it. It was ‘bout five or six mile to Manfield. end ‘bou.t 49 or 50 mile to Shreveport. My ol‘ mareter tuk all he niggers and wertt off sosweres, dey called it Texas, but I dIdXI‘ know where • De ol ‚ er Ones farm. Dey rais‘ ev ‚ yt ~ ir~g dey could put in de grain‘ ‚ iley did. My pa was kirrige(carriage) d.river for my ol‘ misaus. He was boss nigger fo ‚ de cul lud men when marster wan‘ t right der.. My father jis‘ stay der.. Ses, dey free our people in July. Dat leave d~ whole crop stanin‘ ders in de fiel‘. Dey had to stay dere and. take care of de cr~~p. After dat dey co~nmence saktn‘ contrait. end bargins. I was 22 years 1 when I marry de t.‘ t irne • Both my buben ‚ e dead. I h~&

13 chillsn in all,

	e De fua ! tine I went to e~nirch, missus tuk me and anoth.r gal to min1 de chilien. I never heared a preacher befo‘ • I tmember how de preacher word. de hymn:

s Come, ye sinners, p01 end needy,
Weak and wounded, sick and soi.‘

	SI couldn~ understan‘ it, imt now when I look down on it t sees it x~ow. I bleeve us been here goin‘ on fos year‘ right yen in dii hoae~.