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AGREEMENT WITH FREEDMEN.

This AGREEMENT, made this 14th day of August A.D., 1865, by and between A. B Sturdivant of the County of Lowndes and State of Mississippi, of the first part, and the person hereinafter name 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 home of A.B. Sturdivant, in the County and State aforesaid, during the year commencing on the first day of May A. D. 1865, and terminating on the first day of January, 1866. The said A. B. Sturdivant party of the first part, in consideration of the promises and conditions hereinafter mentioned on 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 of good quality and sufficient quantity; good and sufficient quarters; medical attendance when necessary, and kind and humane treatment. And that he will give them one fith of all the crop of corn wheat sweet potatoes & Sorghum Syrup made on his plantation as gathered in or at the end of the year and that he will furthermore exempt them from labour every Saturday afternoon except in cases of necessity and allow them as much land as they wish to cultivate
  
And it is Further Agreed, That in case the said A. B. Sturdivant shall fail, neglect, or refuse to fulfil any of the obligations assumed by him 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 A. B. Sturdivant may require of them for the time aforesaid, not exceeding ten hours per day in summer and nine hours in winter, and in case any laborer shall voluntarily absent him or herself 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. & the Said parties of the second part furthermore * 

In Testimony Whereof, The said parties have affixed their names to this AGREEMENT at the hom of S.J. Sturdivant, County of Lowndes x, State of Mississippi, on the day and date aforesaid.  R. D. Powell

[[4 column table]]
|NAMES.|Age.|No. of Dependents.|REMARKS.|
|---|---|---|---|

|Dolly X|62| |Rheumatic & feeble  |
|Plummer X|25|  | Field hand . Stout |
|Dick X|35|  |Field hand . Stout |
|William X|19|  |Field hand beig ordinary |

*obligate themselves to preserve order & good conduct on the premises of said Sturdivant & not wantonly or maliciously to waste or destroy any property belonging to him & to be accountable for any such loss & for the loss of time during the prescribed hours of work at a fair & reasonable estimate


[[overwritten text]]
Approved
E.P. Bennett
Ast Pro Mar Freedmen
[[/overwritten text]]