| William Ball Williams, III fought for the Union army in the Civil War. In this excerpt, he describes the experience of being a formerly enslaved person in the Union army and the fear he always lived in. |
Excerpt:
I ran away to Louisville to join the Yankees one day. I was scared to death all the time. They put us in front to shield themselves. They said they were fighting for us–for our freedom. Piles of them were killed. I got a flesh wound. I’m scarred up some. We got plenty to eat. I was in two or three hot battles. I wanted to quit but they would catch them and shoot them if they left. I didn’t know how to get out and get away. I mustered out at Jacksonville, Florida and walked every step of the way back. When I got back it was fall of the year. My folks were still at my master’s. I was on picket guard at Jacksonville, Florida. We fought a little at Pensacola, Florida.
| Interviewee Formerly enslaved person | Birth Year (Age) | Interviewer WPA Volunteer | Enslaver’s Name |
| William Ball Williams, III | 98 years old | Irene Robertson | Robert Ball |
| Interview Location | Residence State | Birth Location |
| Forrest City, AK | Arkansas | Greensburg, KY |
| Themes & Keywords | Additional Tags: |
| Civil War | First Person, Union soldiers |
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