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Agreement with Freedmen

THIS AGREEMENT, Made and entered into this 22d day of June A.D. 1865, by and between William L. King of the County of Yazoo and State of Mississippi of the first part, and the persons hereinafter named and undersigned, Freedmen of the same place, parties hereto of second part, WITNESSETH:

That for the purpose of cultivating the plantation known as the Kings in the County & State aforesaid during the year commencing on the 27th day of June A.D. 1865, and terminating on the first day of January, A.D. 1866, the said parties do hereby mutually agree that the Regulations as prescribed by General Orders No. 34, Headquarters Department Mississippi, March 23rd, 1865, hereto annexed, providing for the employment and welfare of Freedmen, and the local rules in pursuance thereof; all of which are hereto annexed, and are hereby incorporated in and made a part of this agreement as fully as if here recited.

The said William King for the considerations and on the conditions and stipulations hereinafter mentioned, agrees to pay to the said laborers, the rates of monthly wages agreed upon and as specified in the orders hereto annexed: one-half of such wages to be punctually paid on the first days of May, August, and November, 1865, and the remainder to be paid on or before the 31st day of January, 1866. Said William L. King further agrees to furnish to the said laborers and those rightfully dependent on them, free of charge, clothing and food of good quality and sufficient quantity, as prescribed by the orders hereto annexed; good and sufficient quarters, a separate tenement for each family, fuel and medical attendance; to see that the premises thus furnished are kept in a good sanitary condition; to allot from the lands of said plantation for garden purposes, to each family, the amount of land specified in orders hereto annexed; such allotment to include a reasonable use of tools and animals; to exact only ten hours work per day in summer and nine in winter, and no labor whatever on Sundays; and if any labor in excess of the above per day is rendered, the same is to be paid as extra labor, upon such terms as may be agreed upon by the parties hereto; to grant to such laborers one-half of each and every Saturday, to enable them to cultivate the portion of land allotted to them, also, the fourth day of July; to co-operate in the establishment of any school for the education of the children of said laborers; finally, the said William L. King, agrees to comply in all respects with the rules and regulations above referred to and made part hereof.

AND IN CONSIDERATION of the faithful performance by the said William L. King, of all the obligations assumed by him and of the punctual payment by him of the wages agreed upon as aforesaid, the said laborers do hereby severally, and each for himself, agree with the said William L. King, heirs and assigns, to well and faithfully perform the labor herein stipulated for the term aforesaid, in strict conformity with the conditions aforesaid; and they further agree to observe and comply with the rules and regulations above referred to.

AND IT IS FURTHERMORE AGREED: That in case the said William L. King shall fail, neglect or refuse to fulfil any of the obligations assumed by him, or shall furnish said parties of the second part with bad or insufficient food or clothing, or insufficient or unhealthy quarters, or shall be guilty of cruelty to them, he shall, besides the legal recourse left to the particular party or parties aggrieved, render this contract liable to annulment, at the option of the Provost Marshal of Freedmen.

And in case any laborer shall voluntarily absent himself from, or shall neglect or refuse to perform the labor herein contracted for, and the fact shall be proved to the satisfaction of the proper officer, the one-half of the wages due to said party offending, retained in the hands of the said William L. King, as aforesaid, shall be forfeited, one-half thereof to the said William L. King and the other half to the United States, to aid in supporting the helpless, and the party so offending may be discharged from said employment.

AND IT IS FURTHERMORE MUTUALLY AGREED by the said William L. King, and the laborers whose names are hereto subscribed, that in lieu of half wages to be paid to them at the end of the year, the said laborers shall be entitled to, and agree to accept, the share of the nett profits of carrying on the plantation during the period aforesaid, respectively set opposite their names below.

AND IT IS FURTHERMORE AGREED, That any wages or share of profits due to said laborers under this agreement, shall constitute a first lien upon all crops or parts of crops produced on said plantation or tract of land by their labor. And no shipment of products shall be made until the Provost Marshal of Freedmen shall certify that all dues to laborers are paid or satisfactorily arranged.