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Agreement with Freemen.

This Agreement, made this 1st day of January A.D., 1866 by and between Green Coleman of the County of Madison and State of Mississippi, of the first part, and the person hereinafter named and undersigned, Freemen of the same place, parties hereto of the second part, Walker & others.

Witnesseth. That for the purpose of cultivating the plantation known as the Plantation of Green Coleman in the County aforesaid, during the year commencing on the 1st day of January A.D., 1866 and terminating on the 1st day of January 1867. The said Green Coleman 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 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; 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.

The usual amount of cooking for white family watering & feeding of stock, cariage driver & one at leas to take and catch horses, to make fires, &, &, to be attended to on Sunday's

And it is further agreed, That in case the said Green Coleman 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 Green Coleman may require 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 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 of Freedmen shall certify that all due to said laborers are paid or satisfactorily arranged.

It is further agreed by the parties of the second part that all time lost by them except in cases of sickness under five days, shall be deducted from their wages, also all misdemeanors shall be subject to a like deduction Green, Coleman

Transcription Notes:
Edited: read instructions, use [[?]] if you don't know word, not ? or ?? or (?), read instructions, completed all Finish transcribing the second half of the page. There is a Green Coleman on 1860 census for Madison County Miss.