unhealthy place, for I can remember that Pa had a long spell of fever every summer.

Our principal crop was corn, which was used to fatten hogs, a great many of which were raised in the swamp or bottom referred to. Pa used to take corn to these often enough to get them gentle.

Sugar was brought to Cape Girardeau from New Orleans. I remember that one winter the Mississippi remained frozen so long that the boats could not ascend to bring the usual supply of sugar. Pa then took all of the Negroes and went into the swamp (old river bed) and tapped the maple trees and made enough sugar to last us until the steamboats could ascend. These were called "sweet water trees", but I suppose were maple trees.

There were also a great many deaths during the winter from pneumonia and what was called winter fever. Pa's brothers, Thomas, Robert, William, John, and Joseph, all died before I can remember; most of them from pneumonia. When I asked Pa if they had been healthy men, he replied that they were all apparently stronger than he was.

Pa's six sisters were Charity ........, Jennie Howard, Elizabeth ......, Louisa Kennison, later Wolf, Hannah Joyce, and Patsy Camster.

Pa was very anxious for the Confederate States and the Federal Government to agree on a plan of gradual emancipation which had been proposed by some statesmen. He said he thought this the best thing to do.