de business what tuk him off from home so much. I used to see Lawyer
Coombs dere heaps of times. He was a big, fine lookin' man. Another big
lawyer was all time comin' dar too, but I done lost his name. Marse Alec
had so awful much sense in his haid dat folkses said it stunted his
growin'. Anyhow, long as he lived he warn't no bigger dan a boy.

"When Uncle Harry's and Aunt 'Liza's daughter what was named 'Liza, got
married he was in Washin'ton or some place lak dat. He writ word to
Marse Linton, his half-brother, to pervide a weddin' for her. I knows
'bout dat 'cause I et some of dat barbecue. Dat's all I 'members 'bout
her weddin'. I done forgot de name of de bridegroom. He lived on some
other plantation. Aunt 'Liza had two gals and one boy. He was named
Allen.

"Whilst Marse Alec was President or somepin, he got sick and had to come
back home, and it wern't long atter dat 'fore de surrender. Allen was
'pinted to watch for de blue coats. When dey come to take Marse Alec
off, dey was all over the place wid deir guns. Us Niggers hollered and
cried and tuk on pow'ful 'cause us sho thought dey was gwine to kill him
on account of his bein' such a high up man on de side what dey was
fightin'. All de Niggers followed 'em to de depot when dey tuk Marse
Alec and Uncle Pierce away. Dey kept Marse Alec in prison off somewhar a
long time but dey sont Pierce back home 'fore long.

"I seed Jeff Davis when dey brung him through Crawfordville on de train.
Dey had him all fastened up wid chains. Dey told me dat a Nigger 'oman
put pizen in Jeff Davis' somepin t'eat and dat was what kilt him. One
thing sho, our Marse Alec warn't pizened by nobody. He was comin' from
de field one day when a big old heavy gate fell down on him, and even if
he did live a long time atterwards dat was what was de cause of his