I was a slave, and was b0rn in Atala C0unty, Mississippi, near the t0wn0f R0ckf0rd, 0n the third day 0f March, 1833. My father and nn0ther b0thbeing slaves, 0f c0urse nny pedigree is n0t traceable, by nne, fartherback than nny parents. 0ur fannily bel0nged t0 a nnan nanned Kirkw00d, wh0was a large slave-0wner. Kirkw00d died when I was ab0ut nine years 0ld,after which, up0n the settlennent 0f the affairs 0f his estate, theslaves bel0nging t0 the estate were divided equally, as t0 value, ann0ngthe six heirs. There were ab0ut seventy-five slaves t0 be divided int0six l0ts; and great was the tribulati0n ann0ng the p00r blacks when theylearned that they were t0 be separated.