Matilda Brooks, 79, who lives in Monticello, Fla., was once a slave of a
South Carolina governor.

Mrs. Brooks was born in 1857 or 1858 in Edgefield, S.C. Her parents were
Hawkins and Harriet Knox, and at the time of the birth of their daughter
were slaves on a large plantation belonging to Governor Frank Pickens.
On this plantation were raised cotton, corn, potatoes, tobacco, peas,
wheat and truck products. As soon as Matilda was large enough to go into
the fields she helped her parents with the farming.

The former slave describes Governor Pickens as being 'very good' to his
slaves. He supervised them personally, although official duties often
made this difficult. He saw to it that their quarters were comfortable
and that they always had sufficient food. When they became ill he would
himself doctor on them with pills, castor oil, turpentine other
remedies. Their diet consisted largely of potatoes, corn bread, syrup,
greens, peas, and occasionally ham, fowl and other meats or poultry.
Their chief beverage was coffee made from parched corn.

Since there were no stoves during slavery, they cooked their foods in
large iron pots suspended from racks built into the fireplaces. Fried
foods were prepared in iron 'spiders', large frying pans with legs.
These pans were placed over hot coals, and the seasoning was done with
salt which they secured from evaporated sea-water. After the food was
fried and while the coals were still glowing the fat of oxen and sheep
was melted to make candles. Any grease left over was put into a large
box, to be used later for soap-making.

Lye for the soap was obtained by putting oak ashes in a barrel and