This interview was conducted by a Works Progress Administration researcher when Reverend Massey was 88 years old. The interviewer describes Massey as being "very active and has a strong voice" and as a "pleasant old gentleman who has 'seen 'bout ev'ything to be seen in this life.'" Massey had been a slave in his childhood near Emporia, Virginia. In this excerpt, Massey recounts his experiences during the war.

"Dar was a captain who lived not far from my marster's. His name was Parsons. He an' my marster was pretty good friends. He was de captain of a regiment dat was goin' roun' ketchin' men to carry to de battle fields. Dey come to my house an' got two from de low groun' plantation. Marster had two plantations. Dey got two from de "great house" an' two from the low groun'. I happen to be one of 'em at de low groun. Dey took me to go roun' wid 'em to help 'em to catch men. We went to Mr. Young's plantation an' we caught one man an' hit was me an' dis man er tusslin'. I was holdin' him an' he was a trying' to git loose to run 'way . . . to weaken dis man down one tother men stuck de bayonet in him. Dey missed his arm an' stuck mine right 'bove de elbow. Sometime now dis arm still pains me from dat woun'. But de men took dis slave right on to de battlefield, an' put him to work on de breast works. Some slaves would volunteer an' steal over on de Union side an' was pentioned. My ha'f broher Albert Prince did dat, eh 'long to de Mosses. No, I didn't see any fightin', jes' helped ketch slaves."