Papa said
he had to plough and clean up new ground for Master Birdsong. He was a
young man starting out and papa and mama was young too.
(She left and came back with some old scraps of yellow and torn papers
dimly written all over: Anna Washington, born 1860 at Hines County at
Big Rock. Mother born at Capier County. Father born at White County,
Virginia--ed.)
"This is what was told to me by my papa: His grandmother was born of
George Washington's housemaid. That was one hundred forty years ago. His
papa was educated under a fine mechanic and he help build the old
State-house at Washington. Major Rousy Paten was the Washington nigger
'ministrator.
"I had a sister named Martha Curtis after his young wife. I had a
brother named Housy Patton. They are both dead now. Pa lived to be
ninety-eight years old. My mama was as white as you is but she was a
nigger woman. Pa was lighter than I is now. I'm getting darker 'cause
I'm getting old. My pa was named Benjamin Washington.
"I heard my pa talk about Nat Turner. (She knew who he was o.k.--ed.) He
got up a rebellion of black folk back in Virginia. I heard my pa sit and
tell about him. Moses Kinnel was a rich white man wouldn't sell Nellie
'cause of what his wife said. She was a housemaid. He wrote own free
pass book and took her to Maryland.
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