Slave Narrative of Lewis Bonner
Lewis Bonner, born in 1850 near Palestine, Texas, recounts his experiences as a slave on the Swanson plantation. He describes a relatively kind environment, noting the absence of severe beatings and sharing meals with his mistress’s family. Bonner’s father rebelled against mistreatment, killing several men before escaping. After the Civil War, Bonner and others worked the land with a sharecropping arrangement. He later married a master’s daughter, maintaining a bond with her family. In his old age, Bonner reflects on love, life after slavery, and the challenges of his current circumstances.