"Ole Mistis made de womens card bats, en’ spin en’ weabe on de loom. What er loom look lak? It look lak er loom, dat what it look lak; what you spec’ it look lak? All de womens, white en’ black, wuk hard makin’ jeans fer de sojers clo’s en’ makin’ linsey fer de women’s clo’s. Us didn’t hab no udder clo’s ’cep dem linsey, but dey sho was good uns en’ las’ er long time, iffen yer didn’t stan’ too close ter de fire en’ scorch ’em.
"Us kep’ hearin’ of de Yankees comin’, en’ one mawnin’ Ole Mistis she say: ’Jane, you go down ter de front gate en’ stay dar en’ watch en’ see iffen de Yankees comin’ down de big road, en’ when you sees ’em, you run tell me quick.’
"Bimeby, I seed de Yankees comin’ about a mile down de road, en’ I run tell Ole Mistis, en’ she call de womens en’ dey run down t’rough de orchard to de big woods, en’ I run tell Unker Jude en’ he onhitch de mules en’ lead ’em down ter de big gully behin’ de fiel’.
"Ole Mistis tole me to run back to de house, quick, fo’ de Yankees get dar, en’ git her gole watch en’ chain outen de bureau drawer; but de Yankees come in whilst I was gitten de watch en’ chain, en’ one ob ’em grabbed it outen by han’ en’ put it in his pocket en’ tole anudder Yankee: ’I’se gwine tek dis home ter my gal.’
"De house en’ de yard was plum full of Yankees en’ dey rid dey hosses en’ tore up ev’yting, lookin’ for money en’ jewelry. Dey ax me whar it was hid, en’ I tole em’ I didn’t know en’ dey said I was lyin’, en’ iffen I didn’t tell ’em, dey would kill me ’lak er dam Rebel’, en’ I sho was skairt.
"Dey et up all de sump’n’ to eat in de kitchen en’ tuk all de meat en’ meal outen de smokehouse en’ didn’t lef’ us nuddin’, en’ dey went to de crib en’ tuk ev’y year co’n en’ all de fodder en’ put it in wagins en’ tuk ’em off.
"De Yankees ax me don’t I wanner be free en’ I say: ’No, suh’, en’ dey say ev’body gwine be free an’ I won’t hab ter wuk fer Ole Marster no mo’. Den dey ax me whar Ole Marster at, en’ I say: ’He gone to wah’, en’ dey ax me whar Ole Mistis, en’ I say: ’I dunno whar she at; she done gone off summuz.’ Dey ax me whar de guns, en’ I tole ’em us didn’t hab no guns.
"Dem Yankees mighter been dar till yit, iffen one ob ’em hadn’t rid his hoss ober a bee gum en’ Man! dem bees en’ dem Yankees sho did mess up! In about a minute dere wan’t no Yankees nowhar ’cep down de big road whar de dus’ jes’ foggin’ up! ’Bout a week some mo’ Yankees come, but dey muster heared ’bout de bees, ’caze dey lef’ dey hosses outside de big gate en’ walked up to de house, but dey didn’t stay long ’caze dey wan’t nuffin’ lef’ atter de fu’st Yankees done to’ up ev’ything. En’ when dey ready to go dey tuk dey guns en’ stood way off en’ shoot de bee gums all to pieces, en’ dey flewed aroun’ en’ us had to stay ’way ’twel night. Unker Jude, he wuk all night long, makin’ bee gums outen a hollow log, en’ nex’ day he hive ebery one ob dem bees en’ put ’em in de new gums, en’ de bees dey tote all dey honey en’ put it in de new gums fas’ as dey could make comb fer it. Dem bees sho’ was smart.