Viewing page 140 of 300

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

Agreement with Freedmen.

This Agreement, made this 1st 19 day of August A. D., 1865, by and between S M Miller of the County of Hinds and State of Mississippi, of the first part, and the person hereinafter named and undersigned, Freedmen of the same place, parties hereto of the second part, 

Witnesseth, That for the purpose of cultivating the plantation known as the Miller Place in the County aforesaid, during the year commencing on the 1st day of June  A. D., 1865, and terminating on the 1st day of January, 1866. The said S. M. Miller party of the first part, in consideration of the promises and conditions hereinafter mentioned on the part of the parties of the second part, agrees to furnish to the said laborers and those rightfully dependent upon them, free of charge, clothing and food or good quality and sufficient quantity; good and sufficient quarters; medical attendance when necessary, and kind and humane treatment; to allot from the lands of said plantation, for garden purposes, one acre to each family; such allotment to include a reasonable use of tools and animals for the cultivation of the same; to exact only one half a day's labor on Saturdays, and none whatever on Sundays. 

Except such is necessary in feeding stock cooking &c. 

And it is further agreed, That in case the said S M. Miller shall fail, neglect, or refuse to fulfil any of the obligations assumed by her, or shall furnish said parties of the second part with insufficient food or clothing, or be guilty of cruelty to them, he shall, besides the legal recourse left to the party or parties aggrieved, render this contract liable to annulment by the Provost Marshal of Freedmen. And it is agreed on the part of the parties of the second part that they will each well and faithfully perform such labor as the said S M Miller may require of them for the time aforesaid, not exceeding ten hours per day in summer and none hours in winter, and in case any laborer shall voluntarily absent themselves from, or shall neglect, or refuse to perform the labor herein promised, and the fact shall be proven to the satisfaction of the proper officer, the party so offending shall be punished in such manner as the Provost Marshal of Freedmen shall deem proper.

IT IS FURTHER AGREED, That any wages or share of profits due the 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 shipments of products shall be made until the Provost Marshal of Freedmen shall certify that all dues to said laborers are paid or satisfactorily arranged. 

S. M. Miller 

Transcription Notes:
I placed [[??]] after any words or punctuation I was uncertain of by wrote anyway what I thought it would be/what I could make out. So anything right before any [[??]] can afford to be checked. I also placed [[illegible]] in place of any word I could hardly at all make out, so anything there could afford to checked also in case someone can make it out. Also wasn't sure if I was supposed to transcribe all the spacing and indentation--I did transcribe the spaces between words and ;, but not between words and other words or words and period. Those can also be checked. I also didn't indent, which can be edited if it should have been, as well. Thank you!