"Ma, she was Marse Alec's cook and looked atter de house. Atter she died
Marse Lordnorth got Mrs. Mary Berry from Habersham County to keep house
at de big house, but Aunt 'Liza, she done de cookin' atter Miss Mary got
dar. Us little Niggers sho' did love Miss Mary. Us called her "Mammy
Mary" sometimes. Miss Mary had three sons and one of 'em was named Jeff
Davis. I 'members when dey come and got him and tuk him off to war.
Marse Lordnorth built a four-room house on de plantation for Miss Mary
and her boys. Evvybody loved our Miss Mary, 'cause she was so good and
sweet, and dere warn't nothin' us wouldn't have done for her.

"No Lord! Marse Lordnorth never needed no overseer or no carriage driver
neither. Uncle Jim was de head man wat got de Niggers up evvy mornin'
and started 'em off to wuk right. De big house sho was a pretty place,
a-settin' up on a high hill. De squirrels was so tame dar dey jus'
played all 'round de yard. Marse Alec's dog is buried in dat yard.

"No Mam, I never knowed how many acres dere was in de plantation us
lived on, and Marse Alec had other places too. He had land scattered
evvywhar. Lord, dere was a heap of Niggers on dat place, and all of us
was kin to one another. Grandma Becky and Grandpa Stafford was de fust
slaves Marse Alec ever had, and dey sho had a passel of chillun. One
thing sho Marse Lordnorth wouldn't keep no bright colored Nigger on dat
plantation if he could help it. Aunt Mary was a bright colored Nigger
and dey said dat Marse John, Marse Lordnorth's brother, was her Pa, but
anyhow Marse Lordnorth never had no use for her 'cause she was a bright
colored Nigger.

"Marse Lordnorth never had no certain early time for his slaves to git
up nor no special late time for 'em to quit wuk. De hours dey wuked was
'cordin' to how much wuk was ahead to be done. Folks in Crawfordville