" There was seldom occasion for more
than the use of the one name. If "John" or "Susan" belonged to a
white man by the name of "Hatcher," sometimes he was called "John
Hatcher," or as often "Hatcher's John." But there was a feeling that
"John Hatcher" or "Hatcher's John" was not the proper title by which
to denote a freeman; and so in many cases "John Hatcher" was changed
to "John S. Lincoln" or "John S. Sherman," the initial "S" standing
for no name, it being simply a part of what the coloured man proudly
called his "entitles."
As I have stated, most of the coloured people left the old
plantation for a short while at least, so as to be sure, it seemed,
that they could leave and try their freedom on to see how it felt.
After they had remained away for a while, many of the older slaves,
especially, returned to their old homes and made some kind of contract
with their former owners by which they remained on the estate.
My mother's husband, who was the stepfather of my brother John and
myself, did not belong to the same owners as did my mother. In fact,
he seldom came to our plantation. I remember seeing his there perhaps
once a year, that being about Christmas time. In some way, during the
war, by running away and following the Federal soldiers, it seems, he
found his way into the new state of West Virginia.
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