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Contract
  
Between R.L. Caruthers & certain Freedmen for carrying on his farm in Yazoo County State of Mississippi for the year 1866.

The undersigned Freedmen & women agree on their part to remain on & do all their work for the year eighteen hundred and sixty six (1866) faithfully on the aforesaid farm under the direction & control of the said R.L. Caruthers or his agent & manager J.C. Caruthers rendering due & uniform obedience to all propper commands & submitting to such [[strikethrough]] reasonable & appropriate punishment [[/strikethrough]] as may be consistent with the regulations for failure to do their whole duty. Any one failing to remain or voluntarily absenting himself or herself from the place before the expiration of the year thereby forfeits his or her interest in the Crop: But will not be required to account for provisions. Clothes &.c. already received. The said R.L. Caruthers or his agent in charge shall have power to dismiss & send off any hand or family who becomes refractory or unmanagible or a dead weight on the concern - All are to be treated with humanity & justice but shall be bound to good conduct obedience & industry. They are to have the half of every Saturday if required, and one week at Christmast. They are to be furnished with a sufficiency of good & wholesome food & clothing & medical attention when desired. The quantities of food & clothes to be regulated by the custom of the neighborhood. That not drawing nay clothing or medicine shall not be charged with any but those who use such must account for their proportion of such expense. Parents or guardians will have deducted from their portion the expenses of such of their family as do no work or not enough work to suport themselves - Such charges as well as those for loss of time &.c. are to be strictly kept by the manager so that they will not lessen the wages of those who do not loose time and have not