After the surrender most of the slaves left the plantations and were supported by the Bureau. In the case of Oliver Hill, this lasted five months and then he went back to his former master who gave him one-fifth of what he made working in the field. Alan Brooks grieved for the loss of his slaves but at no time were they under any compulsion to remain slaves. After a long time about half of them came back to work for pay.
The Ku Klux Klan was "de devil", but about all they wanted, according to Oliver, was to "make a Democrat" of the ex-slaves. They were allowed to vote without any trouble, but "de Democrats robbed de vote. Yes'm I knowed they did."
Concerning the present restricted suffrage, he thinks the colored people should be allowed to vote. In general, his attitude toward the white people is one of resentment. Frequent comments were:
"Dey won't let de colored people bury in de same cemetery with de white people."
"Dey don't like it if a colored man speak to a white woman."
"Dey kill a colored man and de law don't do nothin' 'bout it."
"Old Man Brooks" when referring to his former master.
He lived with the Brooks family for five years after freedom, and seems to have been rather a favored one with not much to do but "ride around" and going to dances and parties at night. When Alan Brooks died he left Oliver $600 in cash, a cow and calf, horse, saddle and bridle and two hogs. He went to live with his father taking his wife whom he had married at the age of twenty-one.
As soon as the inheritance was gone, the scene changed. In his words, "I thought it gwine last forever." But it didn't and then he began to hold a succession of jobs--field hand, sorghum maker, basket weaver, gardener and railway laborer--until he was too old to work. Now he is supported by the Welfare Department and the help a daughter and granddaughter can give.
About the younger generation--"I don't know what gwine come of 'em. The whites is as bad as the blacks." He thinks that present conditions are caused by the sinfulness of the people.
There were no slave uprisings but sometimes when they did not work fast enough or do the task right, they were "whupped" by the overseer and given no food until it was done right.