Mr. Alex Bufford, an ex-slave, lives at 1823 Seneca street, St. Joseph, Missouri. Mr Bufford, (everyone calls him Uncle Alex) does not know how old he is, but says he does remember that he was a grown man at the time of the Civil War.
I heard about Uncle Alex from one of the ladies in the reference room at the Public Library in St. Joseph, Mo. She told me I would have to see Uncle Alex right at the noon hour or in the evening, as he would be at work during working hours. I didn’t ask her what kind of work he did but I heeded her advice about seeing him at the noon hour. I arrived at his place about 11:50 A.M. As I got out of my car I happened to look up the alley. An old Negro driving a one-horse wagon was just entering it. I guessed in a minute that this was the old gentleman I wanted to see. When he approached I did not tell him at first what I wanted but started talking about the weather. I saw in a minute the old fellow was going to be interesting to talk to.
After we had commented about the weather, I told him what I wanted. Uncle Alex, "Ya sir, I’ll be bery glad to tell you anything I kin recollect, but I don’t remember like I used to." He said, "I don’t know how ole I am, but I was a grown man at the time of de war and I guess I’se de oldest man in de city. I was born in Buchanan County and have libed here all my life. I only been out de state once in my life and dat wuz ober to Elwood seberal years ago. (Elwood, Kansas is only about 2 miles west of St. Joseph.) I’se just don’t keer to go any place."
To my question about his family he replied. "Ya sir, I hab four daughters and one son libing, but da don’t help dis ole man any. Until I got de ole age pension seberal months ago, I had a terbil time making a libing."
Uncle Alex and his brother who is younger than he, live together. The brother is an old man more feeble than Uncle Alex.
After the War Uncle Alex worked on the farm for the Conetts, near Faucett, Mo. in Buchanan County for several years. Then he moved to town and worked for the same people in their brickyard until just a few years ago.
The house Uncle Alex lives in now belongs to the people he worked for so long. He lives there rent free.
*Interview with Harriet Casey,* *aged 75, Fredericktown, Missouri.* *Interviewed by J. Tom Miles.
*