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Sparks, William Henry, 1800-1882

"The Memories of Fifty Years Containing Brief Biographical Notices of Distinguished Americans, and Anecdotes of Remarkable Men; Interspersed with Scenes and Incidents Occurring during a Long Life of Observation Chiefly Spent i"


No, sir, General Washington's war, de ole war of all--and den, young
massa, you ought to see her. She's mity putty den, she is--face red and
smove, and she little tired and she look so like ole missus yonder,
when she was a gall, and dem English red coats comes out from
Charleston, to de ole place to see her. Dat's a long time ago, young
massa."
"Uncle Toney, how old are you?"
"Moss a hundred, young massa; I don't know zackly--but I great big boy
when I comed from de ole country, tudder side ob de sea--my country,
massa. When I comed to Charleston, I was so high--(holding his hand
some four feet from the earth) yet I was big nuff to plow, when ole
massa, de fadder of him burried yonder, bied me and tuck me up to de
high hills ob Santee. Den, sir, my massa who brought me here, was gone
to de country whar de white folks first comed from, England. I neber
see him till de ole war, when his fadder been dead two year, den he
comed home one night and all de family but one had gone to de war. He
not talk much, but look mity sorry. My ole missus was a pretty gall,
den, live close by us, and it not long afore dey gets married, and den
many ob de nabors come and dey hab long talk.


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